Max Fried on getting ready for the season
Mike Soroka and Max Fried were the first two starting pitchers to get work in an intrasquad game. Both did very well.
The only runs scored in the game was a two-run home run by Adam Duvall off Josh Tomlin.
After the scrimmage, Snitker was again asked about his plans to have a piggyback situation early in the season to protect the starting pitchers with smaller initial outings and middle relievers prepared to go 2-3 innings in the middle of games.
“I think we’ve still got to be careful about pushing them,” Snitker said. “I’d be real surprised if we weren’t going in the beginning do the piggybacking or having a kind of a semi-long guy coming in behind these guys, especially the first couple of times that we actually get them grounded against the Major League competition.”
Back to Fried, who looked solid. The Braves have been very impressed with how the starting pitchers have looked so far in the early stages of summer camp. Fried is at the top of that list.
In the spring, Fried posted a 3.52 ERA in three games, with three earned runs allowed on eight hits in 7.2 innings, with nine walks and five strikeouts.
Fried was working on his changeup in February and March. He said Wednesday he has continued to improve that pitch with his side sessions during the pandemic.
Thursday the Braves will have Mike Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb, Grant Dayton and A.J. Minter pitching. The game is expected to go four innings.
Snitker said the team will simply work out Friday through Sunday and have even more organized scrimmages starting early next week.
The Braves manager was also asked about possibly playing exhibition games before the season starts in New York July 24. Snitker said there are no plans at this time for any such games.
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