Braves Rumors: Vaughn Grissom vs Nicky Lopez, Aaron Boone praise, more
By Mark Powell
Braves Rumors: Don’t call it a comeback for Max Fried
In his last outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, something was off about Max Fried, leaving some to wonder if even the Braves ace was in the midst of a rough patch. Fried returned from injury this month after missing the better part of the season so far with a forearm strain.
On Monday night, he looked a lot like his old self at times, escaping jams against a Yankees lineup that, while underachieving, still features some larger-than-life figures.
Fried knows last night could’ve been a lot worse, as he revealed to David O’Brien of The Athletic:
"“You try. But there’s only so much you can do as far as replicating the adrenaline and the mental energy that you give up,” Fried said. “It was definitely a hot one. Just really muggy and humid, and trying to get a grip on the ball at times. I felt like I didn’t really have very much fastball command at all, and (catcher Travis D’Arnaud) kept giving me a lot of confidence and really put a lot of trust in me to get me through that. … For me, it kinda shows the time I’ve been off. Definitely a little rusty.”"
It’s that terminology — rusty — that sums up Fried’s appearance all too well. Fried is still shaking off the cobwebs. Eventually, he should reemerge as the ace Braves fans are used to watching ever fifth day. Until then, there could be some bumps in the road.