The Atlanta Braves placed LHP Max Fried on the 15-day injured list with a recurring blister on his left index finger Friday. Here’s what you need to know:
- With the IL stint, Fried is expected to miss his final two starts of the regular season and return in time for the postseason.
- The 29-year-old is 8-1 in his 14 outings this season, leading all Braves starters with a 2.55 ERA, a figure that would be second-best in the National League if Fried had tossed enough innings to qualify.
- In a corresponding move, the Braves recalled RHP Darius Vines from Triple-A Gwinnett. Vines has a 3.27 ERA in 11 innings over three appearances for the Braves this season.
- Atlanta (98-55) has clinched the NL East and has the best record in all of MLB.
The #Braves today recalled RHP Darius Vines to Atlanta and placed LHP Max Fried on the 15-day injured list with a blister on his left index finger.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 22, 2023
Backstory
The No. 7 pick in the 2012 draft, Fried has spent his entire major-league career with Atlanta since being called up in 2017. He finished fifth in Cy Young Award voting in 2020 and was runner-up in 2022.
The three-time Gold Glove winner has spent considerable time on the IL throughout 2023, with a strained hamstring and a strained forearm. He was activated off the IL in early August and has gone 6-0 since Aug. 4.
In his most recent start on Sept. 21, which was pushed back due to a developing blister, Fried picked up a victory after pitching six innings of one-run ball, striking out seven.
Blister injuries have plagued Fried in the past, as he spent time on the IL with blister injuries in 2018, 2019 and in 2021.
Required reading
(Photo: Randy Litzinger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
