Max Fried‘s early exit on Wednesday signals deeper trouble for the Yankees’ rotation. Initially, it was expected that he would be back by the Subway series. But the latest update by renowned sports doctor Jesse Morse delivered a worrying verdict. Fried is likely looking at a three-to-four-week absence, assuming he avoids a worst-case scenario with his UCL.

The Yankees await Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt’s return to the rotation. And Fried getting sidelined highlights a growing rotation crisis. Dr. Morse’s verdict might just have confirmed the worst.

“It’s unclear why Max Fried has a bone bruise in his left elbow, and I’ll explain the most likely reason below. What’s important to understand is that this could be due to injury to the UCL, but usually, they would announce that. Hopefully, his UCL is intact,” Dr. Morse shared via X.

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“I wouldn’t be surprised if they shut him down for 1-2 weeks, then get new imaging (MRI), and if ok start ramping him back up. I expect him to probably miss at least 3-4 weeks, but if there is no damage to the UCL, then overall great news.”

Fried started the game on Wednesday, but after the third, he felt soreness in his elbow. Paul Blackburn took over from him. Before Wednesday, Fried had missed any time this season.

“I’m not too worried about a super long-term thing. If I can, I would love to be able to make my next start, but we’ll see,” Fried said back then.

The only silver lining is that Fried may not have faced a UCL issue. Still, according to Dr. Morse, Fried is suffering from “Valgus Stress Overload.” This occurs when “two bones, the radial head and capitellum, get compressed together on the lateral side.” So, even in the worst case, missing Fried for a month means a lot for the Yankees.

Fried has been the workhorse of the pitching staff, leading MLB in innings pitched (61.2) entering his final start. His absence puts immediate pressure on the bullpen to cover a heavy load. Moreover, the Yankees entered the season with both Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon on the IL. While Rodon has returned, Cole is still making rehab starts. Losing Fried removes the anchor that was keeping the rotation steady while they await Cole’s return.

In 10 starts this season, Fried is 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA, and now that he will be away for a month, the Yankees may accelerate Cole’s return or rely on untested relievers.

Fried already had a UCL surgery back in 2014, and so the Yankees should ideally not rush with his return.

“Just irritated it a little bit, pissed it off,” Fried said. “Now I’m going to let it calm down and get back to it.” Fried may breathe easier if his UCL is safe, but for the Yankees, it’s a race against time to keep their starting rotation intact.

The Yankees are scrambling for alternatives

Gerrit Cole is currently rehabbing. Till now, he has had five outings in the minors and recorded a 5.32 ERA. So, for the Yankees, the best way to absorb Max Fried’s absence is to activate Cole. However, the manager, Aaron Boone, thinks otherwise.

“The Yankees will not accelerate Gerrit Cole’s timeline in the wake of Max Fried’s injury. Likely two more rehab starts,” the Athletic’s Chris Kirschner reported.

So, who’s coming next?

Elmer Rodriguez would most likely get promoted again to fill the gap. His previous MLB start was not at the expected level, and he recorded a 5.19 ERA from two games. However, Rodriguez is dominating currently in the minors. He has a 1.38 ERA in five starts at Triple-A. Just as the Yankees are not willing to rush with Cole, they will promote Rodriguez as Fried’s replacement until Cole returns.

“More likely that Elmer Rodriguez will come up in the short term for a start or two,” MLB insider Joel Sherman noted.

The Yankees fans long dreamed of seeing Max Fried and Gerrit Cole together in the rotation. That never materialized, but now if both return could happen in the next 3-4 weeks, the anticipated one-two punch might come sooner than expected.