Max Fried Injury Tracker: Everything We Know About the Yankees' Ace (1st Post-Game Update Included)

Max Fried deserves his reputation as one of Major League Baseball's best arms. The Yankees' 6-foot-4 southpaw ace is a perennial All-Star and Cy Young candidate each year, including when he posted an MLB-leading 19 wins last season. At the same time, Fried's stellar history is exactly why Yankees fans were worried about him ahead of Wednesday's series finale with the Orioles.

The 32-year-old hurler allowed eight earned runs while issuing six walks in back-to-back losses to the Orioles and Brewers earlier this month.

Unfortunately, that trend bled into the latest clash with Baltimore, with Fried removed from the game after allowing a trio of earned runs on five hits on 61 pitches in three innings of work. Considering how Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake left the field with Fried, who was replaced by Paul Blackburn, fans are wondering if they should prepare for the worst.

Max Fried went down into the tunnel after the third inning. Matt Blake immediately called down to the bullpen and got Paul Blackburn warming up pic.twitter.com/psiPvgmBE2
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 13, 2026

Here's everything we know about Fried's developing situation.

Analyzing Max Fried's injury

Update #2 (May 13, 4:47 p.m. ET): Manager Aarone Boone told NY Daily News Sports' Gary Phillips that Fried realized something was wrong between his last start (May 8) and Wednesday, but didn't think it was "abnormal." The Yankees' ace even said he had experienced a similar feeling before "numerous starts" this season; however, the symptoms were much worse this time.

Aaron Boone said that Max Fried felt some discomfort between Wednesday’s game and his last start on May 8 in Milwaukee, but nothing “all that abnormal.” The pitcher felt good after throwing a bullpen, as well.

Fried said there have been “numerous starts” this year where his… https://t.co/QabSmrrvGd
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) May 13, 2026

Update #1 (May 13, 4:32 p.m. ET): “I'm not too worried about a super long-term thing. If I can, I would love to be able to make my next start, but we'll see," Fried told reporters after the game, per Bryan Hoch. Fried also said that it feels like a "hyperextension" and that it "made it difficult to warm up for each inning."

Max Fried described his elbow issue as a hyperextension, or the feeling you get when you "bang the back of that elbow, tricep area." He said it made it difficult to warm up for each inning.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) May 13, 2026

As mentioned before, Fried was removed after three innings. There wasn't any sort of obvious contact or incident to make it clear when he got dinged up (if it even happened in-game), making it trickier to figure out what he's dealing with. Fortunately, it didn't take the Yankees long to offer some clarity.

New York revealed that Fried is dealing with "left elbow posterior soreness," according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. The Yankees added that the three-time MLB All-Star will be examined by the team's Dr. Chris Ahmad on Thursday, with MRIs hopefully providing the full scope of Fried's situation.

Max Fried exited the game with left elbow posterior soreness, the Yankees announced. He will be examined by team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad and undergo imaging tomorrow in New York.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) May 13, 2026

Elbow injuries and pitchers go hand in hand, and it's usually never a good thing. The early development isn't to say that Fried is heading towards Tommy John surgery. Still, the fact that he hasn't looked right lately, combined with Wednesday's early exit, gives fans every right to worry that a lengthy absence might be on the horizon.

Does Max Fried have a history of elbow injuries?

Much to the Yankees' dismay, this isn't the first elbow-related injury in Fried's career.

During his time with the Padres, Fried missed most of 2014 with an elbow injury that forced him into Tommy John surgery before the season was over. He was traded to the Braves during his recovery, and it was in Atlanta where he eventually put his name on the map, earning two All-Star nods and even a second-place finish in the 2022 Cy Young race.

Although his elbow has mostly been a non-issue since then, Fried did spend some time on the IL in 2024 due to "left forearm neuritis," per The Athletic's David O'Brien. It was the same forearm that caused him to miss three months of action in 2023, according to O'Brien, so the fact that Fried has now dealt with left arm-related issues in three of the last four seasons is alarming.

What happens if Max Fried misses time?

Even if his recent performances haven't been great, losing Fried for any amount of time isn't ideal for the Yankees. The silver lining, though, is that New York is fortunate to have some quality starting pitcher depth.

Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers are still healthy, leaving the Yankees' rotation in a good place. Carlos Rodón also made his return over the weekend and will only look better with each passing start. Gerrit Cole isn't far away from his 2026 debut either, and his heat-throwing ways are something that New York has sorely missed.

Pitching prospects like Carlos Lagrange, Ben Hess and Elmer Rodríguez (again) could be given opportunities, too. Perhaps the Yankees might be open to giving Luis Gil a shot to see whether his early-season struggles were an anomaly or not. That's without even mentioning the potential options on the trade market.

As long as the remaining arms do their part, the Yankees' rotation should be able to survive Fried's absence, regardless of how long it lasts.

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