The New York Yankees placed All-Star left-hander Max Fried on the 15-day injured list with a bone bruise in his left elbow, they announced Monday.
It's the same injury that sent Fried to the IL for over two months earlier this year. A timeline for his return wasn't announced.
Fried, who finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting last year, has been one of the Yankees' best pitchers in limited action this year. The 32-year-old owns a 2.81 ERA, 2.56 FIP, and 1.00 WHIP with 79 strikeouts and just two homers allowed over 15 starts.
The loss of Fried comes just hours after New York announced that Carlos Rodón will be activated in time to start Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Rodón last pitched June 28, five days before he was placed on the IL with left elbow inflammation.
Rodón will continue his buildup in the majors and have someone pitch behind him in a piggyback role, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. The Yankees haven't said who will piggyback him. Will Warren had been scheduled to start Tuesday and would be an ideal candidate to follow Rodón, though Warren may have to remain in the rotation following Fried's injury.
The 33-year-old Rodón made two minor-league rehab starts in the last week. He struck out seven and allowed two hits on 54 pitches over 4 1/3 innings in his final rehab outing Thursday for Double-A Somerset.
Rodón, who finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting last year, threw more than 170 innings in both 2024 and 2025. However, that workload came at a cost. His recovery from offseason elbow surgery, along with a hamstring injury sustained during spring training, delayed his 2026 debut until early May. He's made just nine starts this year, posting a 3.30 ERA, 3.43 FIP, and 1.25 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 26 walks.
The Yankees' rotation now consists of this year's AL Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler, former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, and left-hander Ryan Weathers, as well as Warren and Rodón. If Warren is moved to the bullpen, potential starting options while Fried is out include Elmer Rodríguez, Brendan Beck, and Luis Gil, all of whom are pitching in Triple-A.
New York sits second in the AL East despite losing core players Fried, Rodón, Cole, reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, and All-Star slugger Giancarlo Stanton for significant stretches due to injuries. Aaron Boone's club has a .500 record in August.
