Braves All-Star Max Fried has been placed on the injured list with left forearm neuritis, the team announced Sunday morning. As a corresponding move, lefty Dylan Dodd has been called up from the minors. The team has not disclosed a possible return timeline for the left-hander. Fried, 30, is 7-5 with a 3.08 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 95 strikeouts against 34 walks in 108 innings this season. He was selected to the National League All-Star team and pitched one inning in the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday.
We don’t often hear about forearm neuritis, as it is a nerve issue instead of damage to any ligaments or muscles. It occurs when the ulnar nerve — running down the arm to the pinky — gets irritated or even compressed, causing things like numbness, tingling, pain and can lead to a weakened grip.
After finishing as the Cy Young runner up in 2022, Fried has had two injury-riddled seasons and is set to hit free agency after this season.
The Braves hold the top Wild Card in the National League with a 54-43 record, but have not had the regular-season success they enjoyed to in 2022 and 2023. They’ve had injuries to big-time players, with 2023 MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. tearing his ACL and 2024 NL Cy Young favorite Spencer Strider having to undergo Tommy John surgery.
Fried was one of the players who would be expected to pick up the slack with a pitcher like Strider on the shelf. In his stead, the Braves will continue to lean on Chris Sale and Reynaldo López — who have been up to the task — but they’ll need quality work from the likes of Dodd, Charlie Morton and Spencer Schwellenbach.
