Max Fried's Eventual Yankees Return Just Became Even More Important

Late June and early July haven't treat the Yankees' kindly, featuring back-to-back series sweeps at the hands of the Red Sox and Tigers before hosting the Twins this weekend. But just mere hours before the opening showdown at Yankee Stadium, New York's starting rotation suffered a blow that will be felt until after the MLB All-Star Break.

On Friday afternoon, Carlos Rodón was placed on the 15-day injured list with "left elbow inflammation." Even though the placement is retroactive to Tuesday, he won't be eligible to return until the middle of the MLB All-Star Break, and that's assuming he won't suffer any setbacks or hiccups.

Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
•Reinstated INF Ryan McMahon (#19) from the 10-day injured list.
•Returned OF Trent Grisham (#12) from his rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 10-day injured list.
•Placed LHP Carlos Rodón on the…
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) July 3, 2026

Rodón's injury might not be severe, but that doesn't change the fact that it's less than ideal for the Yankees, whose starting pitching situation continues to grow worse by the day. Manager Aaron Boone could use all the help he can get to turn this ship around, highlighting just how great it'd be to have Max Fried back in the lineup.

Yankees need Max Fried's return to help stop starting rotation's descent

Early in the 2026 season, a lot of the Yankees' success stemmed the elite pitching they were getting from their starting rotation. Cam Schlittler was pitching like an American League Cy Young candidate, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers were exceeding all expectations and that was all before Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón had even returned from the IL.

Fast forward to before the ongoing Twins series, when Schlittler has hit a wall, Weathers and Warren are far more unpredictable from start to start and Cole is coming off a poor June performance. It's easy to see why the Yankees would more than welcome the return of Fried, who hasn't pitched since May 13 due to bone bruise impacting his left elbow.

Max Fried looks up. — The Yankees have missed Max Fried since his last appearance, especially with the direction that their starting pitching has taken lately. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Two months have passed since then, and it sounds like Fried's return could be around the corner. The 32-year-old southpaw faced live hitters for the first time earlier this week, where "Fried would throw 'close to 30 pitches' over two simulated innings," per ESPN's Jorge Castillo. The plan is to face live batters again on Sunday before beginning a potential rehab assignment.

Although a .571 win-loss percentage in 10 starts is his second-worst rate of the last eight seasons, Fried was still performing well enough to leave hope that his return will make a difference. He had only allowed 22 earned runs across 61 1/3 innings—good for a 3.21 ERA—and was allowing a career-low 6.3 hits per nine innings. His 1.8% barrel rate is in the 99th percentile, per Baseball Savant, as he also boasts a 2.61 expected ERA (95th), 86.1 mph average exit velocity (93rd) and 30.8% hard-hit rate (90th).

The Yankees are also 27-15 across the 42 starts he's made since arriving in the Bronx, further illustrating how he gives his team a chance to win any game (even if he isn't credited with a decision).

What if Fried doesn't return soon?

Of course, Fried can only help the Yankees when he's available, which sounds like it won't be until the end of July, if not after the Aug. 3 trade deadline. If it looks like his return is trending towards the longer side, general manager Brian Cashman might want to scour the trade market for some rotational help.

Although names like Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and the Twins' Joe Ryan would help with any World Series dreams, the Yankees might prefer to save their prospects and target more affordable veterans instead. The Giants' Robbie Ray, the Tigers' Jack Flaherty and the Nationals' Foster Griffin are just some of the examples who could fit that bill.

The Yankees also have internal options. They've called up Elmer Rodríguez multiple times this season and could do so again. New York will also eventually get Clarke Schmidt off the IL, and his presence could give the starting unit a kick in the pants.

The Yankees clearly have option to turn their unfortunate situation around, but getting Max Fried back and looking like himself would help make everything easier to navigate. Having him back would take a load off everyone else's shoulders, potentially serving as a huge step towards getting the rotation back on track.

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