Yankees Max Fried Injury Concern After Cubs Loss
Fried’s Blistering Start Leads too Yankees’ Frustration in Loss to Cubs
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The Yankees’ ace, Max Fried, endured a rough outing, marked by a blister and a string of uncharacteristic struggles, as the team fell to the Chicago Cubs. Despite a late-inning rally attempt, New York couldn’t overcome the early deficit.
Fried’s Struggles Diminish Yankees’ Ace Status
Max Fried, the highly anticipated ace of the New York Yankees, experienced his worst start since signing a seven-year, $218 million deal in the offseason. named an All-Star, Fried was ultimately replaced on the roster by teammate Carlos Rodón due to a “multitude of factors,” as described by manager Aaron Boone. In his outing against the Cubs, Fried surrendered four runs, three of which were earned, and required 73 pitches to navigate just three innings.
Even before the blister issue surfaced, Fried had shown signs of faltering in his last three starts, a stark contrast to his initially phenomenal performance in The Bronx. His three walks in this game marked a season high, despite the brevity of his appearance. Nico Hoerner set the tone for the Cubs, leading off the game with a booming triple to left-center and scoring two batters later. Fried then struggled further in the third inning, allowing three more runs.”I was bad,” Fried admitted candidly after the game.”I just wasn’t good. I wasn’t able to execute pitches and get outs when I needed them.” He has now allowed 10 earned runs in 14 innings over his last three starts, seeing his ERA climb from 1.89 to 2.43. Despite the recent struggles,Fried maintained that his mechanics felt fine in these outings,including the one against the Cubs. ”Over the last couple, just some unfortunate timing on some home runs and runs,” he commented.
The Yankees’ rotation is already facing notable challenges with the losses of Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgeries, luis Gil sidelined with a lat strain since spring, and Ryan Yarbrough on the injured list with an oblique strain. An extended absence for Fried would therefore be a particularly damaging blow to the team’s pitching depth.
“You just hope there’s nothing serious going on,” said captain Aaron Judge. “He’s been our ace all year. Our Cy Young guy. You get a little concerned when a guy like that comes out, but I don’t think it’s anything crazy.”
Cubs’ Boyd Shuts down Potent Yankees Offense
On the other side, Cubs pitcher Boyd delivered a masterful performance, effectively neutralizing a Yankees lineup that had been on a tear, scoring 88 runs in their previous dozen games.The Yankees hitters praised Boyd’s ability to attack the strike zone and change speeds,which kept them off-balance throughout the game.
The Yankees did manage to provide some late-game drama in the ninth inning against cubs closer Brad Keller. Aaron Judge launched a two-run homer with one out, injecting a spark of hope for a comeback. Though, Keller was then replaced by Daniel Palencia, who successfully secured the final two outs to seal the victory for Chicago.
Defensive Lapses Contribute to Yankees’ Woes
The Yankees also experienced some defensive miscues that contributed to their struggles. In one instance, Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe were caught on the ground after failing to field a RBI single by Carson Kelly of the Cubs in the third inning. Later in the game, Carson Kelly himself scored after hitting a home run in the eighth inning, further extending the Cubs’ lead.
The loss highlights the precarious position the Yankees find themselves in, with their pitching staff already depleted. the performance of their ace, Max Fried, will be closely watched as the team navigates this challenging stretch of the season.