NEW YORK – The Yankees’ dream pairing of Max Fried and Gerrit Cole atop the rotation never materialized during their first season as teammates. That anticipated one-two punch appears to be delayed this year, too.
Fried was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow bone bruise, which was revealed by an MRI and CT scan performed on Thursday, according to a club announcement. Right-hander Elmer Rodríguez was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday in a corresponding move.
Rodríguez, who made two spot starts earlier this season, is likely to take Fried's spot on Tuesday against the Blue Jays.
Fried will be shut down from throwing for at least a few weeks, which suggests that Cole – who is scheduled to make his sixth Minor League rehab start on Saturday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre – might be ready to rejoin the rotation before Fried is cleared to return.
“I’m definitely bummed that I'm going to have to be missing some time, but overall happy that it doesn't look like it's going to be anything serious – no surgery required or anything like that,” Fried said. “You never want to go on the IL and miss games, but you also understand the long-term outlook still looks good.”
Fried exited the Yankees’ 7-0 loss in Baltimore on Wednesday after throwing 61 pitches with what was initially diagnosed as left elbow posterior soreness. Again on Friday, Fried detailed the sensation of a hyperextended and irritated elbow, describing “the banging of the two bones back there.”
Fried was examined in New York by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad. Dr. Neal ElAttrache, a Los Angeles-based specialist, will also review the imaging, which Fried characterized as “due diligence.”
Most encouragingly, Fried -- who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 -- said he was told that his ulnar collateral ligament “looks good.”
“In some ways, it’s good news,” manager Aaron Boone said. “The ligament is in good shape. It’s just a matter of how the timeline is going to shake out. Long term, I feel like we’re in an OK spot. We’ll just listen to the body here over the next days and weeks and see what ultimately that timeline leads to.”
A three-time All-Star, Fried is 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA, and he is tied for the Major League lead with 10 starts and is first with 61 2/3 innings. He said there are “no worries long term” about this becoming a lingering issue.
“We’re going to focus on the healing,” Fried said. “There is a wide range of recoveries. We’re going to focus on my treatment and how I’m recovering with things. As soon as I’m asymptomatic and feeling good, we’ll get more imaging just to clarify it. Then hopefully, I’ll start throwing immediately and get back as soon as possible.”
Fried’s injury will not tempt the Yankees to accelerate Cole’s rehab from Tommy John surgery performed in March 2025, Boone said. The manager suggested Cole will have two more Minor League rehab starts, including Saturday’s outing. He tossed 77 pitches last time out.
“He’ll be in the mid-80s this next one,” Boone said. “We’ll probably have him repeat that. We don’t want to take him off track just for a short-term need. When he’s ready, then he’ll insert in.”
Cole has made five Minor League rehab starts – two for High-A Hudson Valley and three for Somerset – pitching to a 5.32 ERA (14 earned runs in 23 2/3 innings). While he has permitted 22 hits, including six homers, his control has been excellent: 22 strikeouts against two walks.
“We just want to be disciplined, coming off a serious injury where he missed a lot of time,” Boone said. “We want that build to be a steady one, and one that puts him in the best position to come back and have a lot of success up here.”