As many Atlanta Braves fans feared and expected, ace starter Max Fried is heading for the injured list. Brian Snitker announced before the start of Saturday's game against the Nationals that Fried will be placed on the IL.
#Braves ace Max Fried (hamstring) definitely will go on the injured list, Brian Snitker said. Don’t need to make the move until his next scheduled turn because bullpen is fresh has an extra arm right now anyway.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) April 1, 2023
Snitker didn't indicate when this move would happen because Atlanta doesn't have to do so until Fried's next scheduled start. It's likely it'll be a couple of weeks before we see the lefty back in the rotation. The front office will want to be careful so they don't lose Max for an extended period of time.
Fried stated after his start on Thursday that he would be "“...doing whatever those guys tell me to do in the training room. That’s what I’m gonna be doing to try to get back out on the field.” He knows how important his presence is in the lineup but more importantly a healthy presence.
Mark Bowman of MLB.com shared that Fried strained his hamstring so I think at minimum we are looking at going a month without Fried in the rotation. Luckily, the Braves have a good amount of depth in their bullpen and that should allow them to stretch things fairly easily.
Snitker on Fried's hamstring, "It's good that he didn't blow anything up. But he strained it, so it's going to prohibit him from getting on the mound for a while."
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 1, 2023
It also doesn't hurt that Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster have emerged as great options for the Atlanta Braves to use. Let's not forget that Ian Anderson is also available at Triple-A should they need to keep Fried on the IL for longer than they expect.
Not the news that fans wanted just two days into the regular season but it is best case scenario considering how much worse it could have been. Fans will be counting down the days until their ace can return to the mound and help Atlanta push for their sixth consecutive NL East title. Stay tuned to HTHB for future updates on Fried's condition and all things Atlanta Braves related.