Yankees unfortunately have new reason to worry after Max Fried injury reveal

In 2018 and 2023, Max Fried pitched in a total of 28 games. Among other injuries, he dealt with blister issues on his throwing hand, which impacted his ability to perform. The current New York Yankees star saw his 2023 postseason with the Braves adversely affected by such problems. In 2021, he was able to overcome them and lead Atlanta to a World Series win.

At least the All-Star break is coming up, but it wasn't good to see Fried depart his Saturday start early because of a blister on his left index finger. Thankfully the left-hander will be afforded some much-needed rest, especially if the Yankees shift around their rotation, but the possibility of recurring blisters sounds like a nightmare for the remainder of 2025.

Fried leads MLB with 11 wins and was an All-Star before withdrawing from the Midsummer Classic because of his Saturday outing. Heading into the game against the Cubs, he had a 2.27 ERA, 2.98 FIP and 0.96 WHIP in 19 starts. He struck out 111 batters in 119 innings.

Yankees News: Max Fried leaves start vs Cubs with blister on throwing hand

He just turned in arguably his worst outing of 2025, too. It was the first time in over a year he recorded more walks than strikeouts. He lasted just three innings and gave up three runs on six hits and three walks. He threw just 39 strikes of his 73 pitches. It couldn't have been more obvious that the blister threw him off his game drastically.

Much like every other team in the league, the Yankees haven't had the best injury luck. Fried has essentially been a direct substitute for the loss of Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery. But with Clarke Schmidt now out for the year, there isn't much more room for obstacles.

Luis Gil might be coming back, Cam Schlittler might be the real deal, and Marcus Stroman might be serviceable, but those three arms will be directly impacted by Fried's presence. If Fried's consistently available, that trio will have less pressure on them and can continue to perform under a dimmer spotlight. If the Yankees' rotation is further thinned, everything changes.

It's possible Fried's blister issue is a one-and-done, but most would agree it's not a good sign he's struggled with these for large stretches of three previous seasons.