BREAKING: Max Fried leaves start vs Nationals with hamstring issue, destined for IL

If you ask Braves Country what the key to Atlanta's World Series aspirations are, it's mostly around the pitching. Max Fried, Spencer Strider, and Kyle Wright need to replicate last year's success, while newcomers like Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd need to step up and give the team quality innings. There is some margin for error, with options in the minors like Ian Anderson, Bryce Elder, and Michael Soroka rounding their way to form at AAA Gwinnett.

That margin for error got a bit smaller on Thursday.

Opening Day starter Max Fried left the game in the fourth inning after some sort of hamstring issue, suffered while covering 1st base.

Here's the video:

Max Fried will exit today's game with an apparent leg injury. pic.twitter.com/s52Nr2BV0r
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) March 30, 2023

Fried sprinted over to cover 1st on a ground ball to 1st baseman Matt Olson, and then grimaced and grabbed at his left hamstring after the play. Medical staff came out to look at him, and he attempted one warm-up pitch before exiting the game with the trainer.

Fried was cruising in the contest - he scattered four hits and a run across the first three and a third innings, with no walks and two strikeouts on only 48 pitches (28 strikes).

Reliever Lucas Lutege entered the game and got two groundouts to end the inning.

No update was immediately provided by the team - Fried seemingly wasn't sure if he'd need to leave the game until after attempting to throw a pitch, leading one to believe it's not a serious injury and his exit is more precautionary than anything, but we'll wait for official word from the team.

UPDATE: The Atlanta Braves have announced that it's officially "left hamstring discomfort" that forced Fried from the game.

LHP Max Fried was removed from today’s game with left hamstring discomfort.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) March 30, 2023

UPDATE 2: Brian Snitker told members of the media after the game that Fried will almost assuredly miss a start and could go to the IL, which would result in multiple starts being missed by the lefty.

That’s at least one start he’ll miss, and if he goes on the IL — which seems very likely — it will be multiple starts missed for Fried. Too soon to know severity, he said.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) March 30, 2023

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