Scouting Report
Updated May 20, 2026
Max Fried, the Yankees' Opening Day starter and rotation ace, left Wednesday's start against Baltimore after three innings with left elbow posterior soreness. He threw only 61 pitches before exiting. MRI imaging was performed Thursday by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad. While Tommy John surgery is not required, Fried is expected to miss 2-3 weeks. The injury occurred amid a concerning trend of control issues, with Fried's walk rate climbing to 7.9% this season and recent struggles allowing multiple earned runs in back-to-back losses. Fried leads MLB with 61.2 innings pitched as of the injury date.
Strengths
- + No Tommy John surgery required
- + Posterior elbow soreness is less severe than medial elbow distress
- + Team physician optimistic about recovery timeline
- + Fried's experience and track record as elite pitcher
- + Specific 2-3 week recovery timeline provided
Weaknesses
- - Left elbow posterior soreness requiring MRI and IL placement
- - Abrupt exit after only 3 innings and 61 pitches indicates acute concern
- - Control issues preceding injury with elevated walk rate (7.9%)
- - Recent poor performance with 8 ER and 6 walks in back-to-back losses
- - Highest workload in MLB (61.2 IP) may have contributed to injury
- - Previous history of left finger blisters shows recurring arm issues
Injury Status: IL-15
About
Max Stassi is a catcher for the Chicago Cubs.
Player Overview
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Chicago Cubs