Ominous Max Fried injury scare could dictate Yankees' rotation plans for them

As if the New York Yankees needed more bad news after falling behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East race, they may have received some in the form of an untimely injury to starting pitcher Max Fried. In Fried's start against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday afternoon, he was seen going into the tunnel at the end of the third inning. New York warmed up relief pitcher Paul Blackburn almost immediately.

Fried and Cam Schlitter have been the centerpieces of this Yankees rotation early in the season, especially with Gerrit Cole returning from an injury of his own and the recent return of Carlos Rodon.

Max Fried injury update: How long will Yankees star be out?

As of this writing it's tough to tell how much time Fried will miss, if any. Aaron Boone will almost certainly be asked about it postgame. Fried has a 2.91 ERA on the season, and is on the second year of an eight-year, $218 million deal he signed two winters ago.

It is, of course, imperative that the Yankees are cautious in their approach with Fried, even if it means skipping a start or two or placing him on the injured list for a short period of time should he need it.

Fried has undergone Tommy John surgery, albeit earlier in his career after he was drafted by the San Diego Padres. Thus far, he's avoided the need for a second TJ, and despite his untimely exit it's irresponsible to assume the worst for now. Per the Yankees, Fried left his start with left elbow posterior soreness.

Max Fried's injury could impact Yankees plans with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon

Without Fried in tow, the Yankees rotation looks a lot less formidable than it once did. Rodon had an up-and-down display in his first start coming back from injury, walking four and giving up three earned runs in under five innings of action against the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend.

Luis Gil would've been a short-term option to fill Fried's spot in the rotation despite his poor performance at the big-league level this season, but he was recently placed on the minor-league IL with should inflammation.

The return of Cole could go a long way in mitigating the risk of losing Fried, even if only for a few starts. The Yankees right-hander had a successful rehab start this week, but is still likely a few appearances away from making it back to the big leagues, per manager Boone.

"He's filling up the strike zone, popping some 98, 99s," Boone said last week. "I think there was a lot of good yesterday. He got whacked a couple of times, which is not a bad thing. He's working on different things each time out. I really like where he's at."

As much as the Yankees want to be patient with their arsenal of reliable starting pitching, they may not be afforded that right should Fried miss action. This means more pressure on Cole and Rodon to contribute right away, rather at their leisure.

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