The New York Yankees didn’t want to see Max Fried leave their game against the Baltimore Orioles with elbow soreness, especially when looking at all the other injuries their pitching staff has dealt with. The good news is that Fried doesn’t believe that the injury is serious, but you also can’t take a player’s word for their own injury.
Regardless, the Yankees still might be in good shape if Fried has to miss some time, and MLB insider Ken Rosenthal believes that they’re one of the few teams in the league that can withstand this.
“Of all the teams in Major League Baseball, the Yankees are perhaps the best positioned to withstand a temporary loss of Max Fried,” Rosenthal said on Foul Territory TV. “Gerrit Cole is close to coming off the IL. Carlos Rodon has come off the IL. They have in their rotation right now, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers. You’re going to have the possibility of Luis Gil coming back, he’s in the minors right now. Elmer Rodriguez, who made a pretty impressive debut when he was up with the Yankees earlier.
“They have all these pieces. Obviously, you want Max Fried, and you want Max Fried healthy in October, but if he is lost for some length of time, they’re going to be in a better position than most clubs.”
The Yankees are still in good standing, and with some of their players already making their way back, they shouldn’t take a hard fall. The hope is that Fried doesn’t have to miss extended time, and they can keep playing well for however long he’s out.
For now, it will be up to Rodon, Schlittler, Warren and Weathers to step up, and they’ve already shown that they can handle the load when they need to.
