We got some news today from the Atlanta Braves on starting pitchers Max Fried and Kyle Wright. We will start with the news on the Braves Ace.
Max Fried to Make One Final Rehab Start
#Braves LHP Max Fried will start for Triple-A Gwinnett down in Jacksonville on Saturday.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) July 28, 2023
If all goes well, it'll be the final rehab start before his long-awaited return.
Max Fried was scheduled to start earlier this week but has had his start pushed back due to an illness. Nothing to worry about, just a little under the weather with a virus.
Fried went on the Injured List back on May 5th and is approaching his return. One final rehab assignment with the Gwinnett Stripers in Jacksonville and we should be getting the lefty back in Atlanta.
Getting Fried back this time of the year is like trading for the best left-handed pitcher in baseball without having to make a trade. A real benefit for the Braves to get Fried back.
Starting tomorrow would put Fried in line to start the first game against the Chicago Cubs on August 4th. At the very least, it looks like Fried will be back sometime next weekend barring any last-minute setbacks.
Kyle Wright Throws First Bullpen
Kyle Wright felt good after throwing his first bullpen session today. He’s still hoping to return in early September.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 28, 2023
More good news as we are finally seeing Kyle Wright progress from his shoulder strain that saw him hit the IL on May 3rd. This followed an offseason where he had issues with the shoulder that led to more concern than normal with this injury.
Coming off a 21-win campaign, the Braves were hoping to pencil in Wright in the middle of the rotation. Unfortunately, we have barely seen him outside of 18.2 innings in 2023.
A bullpen is just the beginning. Wright is still a good bit away from returning to Atlanta. He will probably throw a few more bullpens to see how the shoulder reacts before going on a rehab assignment. He is basically going through Spring Training, so he will need time. We will get a much clearer timeline once he begins the rehab assignment.
There is a shot we see Wright in September. However, there is a possibility that he will be more of a bullpen arm this year before fully rejoining the rotation in 2024. Bullpen Kyle Wright might be a weapon for the Braves in the postseason though, assuming he gets (w)right.
Good news on both fronts today.