The New York Yankees have been through some injury troubles in 2026, but following recent updates, it appears as though things are trending in the right direction as the team continue to battle the Tampa Bay Rays for top spot in the American League East.
Unfortunately, following a Game 1 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Yankees game was rained out on Tuesday, forcing the teams into a crucial doubleheader on Wednesday, with two games potentially changing much in playoff races for both teams. Now however, the Yankees have announced some incredible news, and as a result, the doubleheader will certainly be must-watch for Yankees fans all around the world.
Max Fried Makes Return for Yankees Doubleheader
GettyMax Fried of the New York Yankees.
Early on Tuesday, it was announced by Aaron Boone that veteran lefty Max Fried would throw 60 pitches in a rehab outing before joining the team in Chicago later this week, but now, the organization announced a shock change on social media.
It was well known that Gerrit Cole would start the first of two games on Wednesday, and while many expected a bullpen game for New York in the second, the team announced that instead, Fried will be activated and will forego his second rehab appearance to start that game, which will begin at 7:05 PM ET, assuming that the rain stays away on Wednesday.
Doubleheader’s don’t happen often, but when they do, it’s often a change that requires one or both teams to go to the bullpen for a game, meaning that rarely do we get a team throwing not one, but two aces out in back-to-back games, but that’s what we will see from New York on Tuesday.
Max Fried Returns from the Injured List
This will be Fried’s first appearance in the big leagues since May 13th against the Baltimore Orioles, and with Carlos Rodon still out, the return of Fried gives this Yankees starting rotation the major boost it needs. Before heading to the Injured List, Fried made 10 starts this season, posting a 4-3 record with a 3.21 ERA across 61.2 innings of work with 50 strikeouts in that time, and while he will likely still be limited to 60 pitches, getting Fried healthy before the deadline is a major move for the Yankees.
Now, the rotation consists of Fried, Cole, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren, and with Rodon set to return at some point before the end of the regular season, that’s a five man rotation that can matchup with anyone down the stretch and into October baseball.
Only time will tell how Fried looks after struggling to find the same form we saw in 2025 early this season, so while it may not be his best start of the season, to see the team having confidence in him to return to the big leagues after just one rehab appearance shows confidence, with the team hoping he can hit the ground running in an incredibly tight AL East race down the stretch.
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