Yankees turn to Fried to save season when ALDS resumes in Bronx

ST. PETERSBURG – When Max Fried first toured Yankee Stadium as a free agent, three words stood out: “Prepare, compete, win.”

They were printed on a wall of the weight room, beyond the kettlebells and medicine balls, and they stuck in the left-hander’s mind as a clear shorthand of the organization’s mission.

Fried’s next assignment is similarly straightforward. The Yankees will hand him the ball for Wednesday night’s Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Rays at Yankee Stadium, looking to save their season.

“He can do anything that he wants, honestly, on the mound,” catcher Austin Wells said. “He’s got so many pitches, so much ability to get outs for us. He’s going to go out there and do what he does and give us a great chance to win the ballgame.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed after Monday night’s 5-2 loss at Tropicana Field that Fried will start, even though a report noted that Fried’s girlfriend, Reni Meyer-Whalley, is expecting the couple’s first child.

Fried was not available to speak after Game 2.

Boone said that Carlos Rodón is in line to start a potential Game 4. Rodón has been available in relief for all four of the Yankees’ postseason games thus far, but he has not pitched since Sept. 22, the first game of a doubleheader against Tampa Bay in the Bronx.

“Talking with the pitching group, [we were] figuring how we wanted it,” Boone said. “It keeps certain guys available in certain situations. Obviously it’s always subject to change, based on how the series unfolds. But that’s kind of how we’re planning on it going right now.”

Fried is coming off a sharp outing against the Red Sox in the decisive Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday, when he held Boston to a run on three hits over six innings. Fried walked one and struck out six, his third postseason start since joining the Yankees.

Wednesday will be Fried’s third time facing the Rays this season. He last saw them in the second game of that Sept. 22 doubleheader, taking the loss in a 6 2/3-inning effort as Tampa Bay clinched the AL East.

Fried also went up against the Rays on April 11 at Tropicana Field, taking a no-decision after allowing three runs over eight innings. For his career, Fried is 5-1 with a 1.81 ERA in seven starts vs. Tampa Bay, including 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA in three starts during the 2025 season.

“Anytime you take the mound in a playoff game,” Fried said after the Wild Card Series, “it's extremely intense.”