Max Fried threw 36 pitches in his second two-inning simulated game for the New York Yankees on Sunday, inching closer to a possible minor league rehab assignment as he continues working his way back from an injury that sidelined him after a May 13 start in Bal
NEW YORK — Max Fried stood in a Yankees simulation on Sunday and went through it again: 36 pitches, spread across two innings, facing hitters for the second time in this latest step toward returning to the rotation.
The left-hander’s progress is no longer measured in hope—it’s being counted. After a three-game series against the Twins ended, Fried worked with third baseman Ryan McMahon and catcher Ali Sánchez. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the next simulated game would likely come Thursday or Friday. with an increased pitch count. and that pitching in a minor league game could be the next step after that.
Boone framed Sunday’s session as more than just a workout. “It’s been good,” he said. “It’s been a good run-up for him and obviously another step today so hopefully we’ll obviously get closer by definition. but I know he’s felt really good. He’s recovered really well in all his throwing stuff. Even going back to when he left that game in Baltimore. it was pretty short order where he was doing pretty well. so that was encouraging.”.
Fried’s patience has been earned the hard way. The 32-year-old has been out since May 13. when he left a start in Baltimore after three innings after his velocity noticeably dropped. In that outing. he threw only 34 of 61 pitches for strikes. and he went on to have both an MRI and a CT scan reviewed by Los Angeles Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Before Sunday’s work, Fried faced hitters for the first time on Tuesday. He threw about 30 pitches to Ryan McMahon and Trent Grisham. the latter of whom was on the injured list at the time. Two days after that. the Yankees’ injury picture shifted again: they placed Carlos Rodón on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation.
For now, injuries have kept New York’s biggest names from lining up together. Fried, Gerrit Cole, and Rodón have yet to be on the active roster at the same time because of injuries.
When Fried was healthy enough to be on a major league mound. he was putting up the kind of numbers that make the Yankees’ wait hurt even more. He is 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 10 starts. Last season. his first with the Yankees. he went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA and made the All-Star team—his first year in pinstripes after leaving Atlanta as a free agent to sign a $218 million. eight-year contract with New York in December 2024.
On Saturday, Fried spoke ahead of New York’s 11-4 loss to Minnesota, saying, “Feeling healthy, so it’s been really encouraging. “Obviously, I would love to be able to just snap my fingers and be back out there. But with being a starting pitcher, it takes a little bit to have the build-up.”
Sunday’s session came with the Yankees already feeling the strain of a rotation that has been forced to improvise. New York’s starters began Sunday with a 3.54 ERA, fourth among the 30 teams. But over the past nine games. New York starters have posted a 5.76 ERA—an uneven stretch that adds urgency to every incremental step Fried takes toward returning.
The next few days now carry their own weight. Boone’s plan—an increased pitch count in another simulated game Thursday or Friday. followed by the possibility of a minor league rehab appearance—keeps Fried on a measured path back from the moment he left Baltimore on May 13. and keeps the Yankees watching the clock as they try to steady the rotation.
Max Fried Yankees simulated game minor league rehab Aaron Boone Ryan McMahon Ali Sanchez Carlos Rodon Gerrit Cole Trent Grisham MLB injury update