KANSAS CITY —There was a small piece of good news on Monday. Max Fried picked up a baseball and played catch. He had not done that in 10 days.
For the Yankees, waiting on their ace left-hander, any movement feels like progress. Yankees fans wanted to believe the worst was behind him.
Then Aaron Boone spoke, and the optimism cooled fast.
The Yankees manager met with reporters before his team beat the Royals 4-3 at Kauffman Stadium. The series opener was a win. The injury news was harder to read.
Imaging fails to clear Fried for ramp-up
Fried had been shut down with a left elbow bone bruise. The injury surfaced in mid-May. He landed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 14. By Monday, he had missed 10 games.
The catch session ended that throwing pause. On the surface, it looked like a step forward. Boone made sure no one ran with that idea.
Here is the part that should worry the fan base. New imaging of Fried’s elbow did not show enough healing. The pictures did not clear him to begin building back up.
That is the quiet alarm inside the Yankees’ Monday update. Fried is throwing again, yet the Yankees will not call it progress. The gap between those two facts matters.
Boone explained the limits of the catch session. The team simply wants to keep the arm active. Nothing more should be assumed from it.
“There’s nothing really that would say he can start the ramp-up process yet,” Boone said before the win over Kansas City.
The light catch keeps the Yankees lefty’s arm loose. It does not test the injury in any real way. He is not yet cleared to throw with intensity. A true ramp-up would stress the elbow, and he is not there.
Boone tried to frame the day carefully. He did not want the catch read as a green light. His words were almost a warning to anyone hoping for more.
“Don’t read too far into that,” Boone said. “He’s been doing plyos and stuff. He’s had a pretty good week overall as far as symptoms and feeling pretty good and responding to everything pretty well. But he’s not at a point to where we can start ramping him up yet.”
The message was clear enough. Fried feels better. His symptoms have eased. Still, the elbow is not ready for the next phase.
That distinction is everything for the Yankees rotation. A pitcher who feels good but cannot ramp up remains weeks away. The healing simply has not caught up to the comfort.
The original plan offered a timeline. When Fried was diagnosed on May 15, the Yankees set a checkpoint. More imaging would come in a few weeks, or once he was without symptoms.
That imaging has now happened. The results did not open the Yankees’ door. Fried stays in a holding pattern, and his return still points to June or July.
His absence stings because of his season. Fried owns a 4-3 record this year. He carries a 3.21 ERA across 10 starts. He has logged 61 and two-thirds innings with 50 strikeouts. Losing that arm leaves a hole in the Yankees rotation.
Stanton, Dominguez near key checkpoints
Fried is not the only Yankees name on the mend. Boone offered updates on several sidelined players. Each case carries its own timeline and its own uncertainty.
Giancarlo Stanton sits near a key checkpoint of his own. The slugger is dealing with a right calf strain. He has missed 28 games since landing on the injured list May 13.
Stanton was set for fresh imaging on Tuesday. The scan would show whether his calf can handle running. Boone sounded cautiously hopeful about that next step.
“I think he was actually going outside to do some of his agility stuff today,” Boone said. “Hopefully, with the next round of imaging, we’re in a position to start ramping up the running.”
The Yankees slugger’s calf trouble traces back to late April. Stanton hurt it jogging to second base in Houston. The play came after Jazz Chisholm drew a walk. An earlier scan showed healing, but not enough to advance.
Jasson Dominguez is closing in on baseball activity. The young outfielder strained his left shoulder on May 7. He crashed into the left-field wall at Yankee Stadium. The AC joint injury has cost the Yankees outfielder 16 games.
Dominguez is expected to begin hitting in a cage this week. He may be only days from a rehab assignment. His return could create a roster squeeze for the Yankees.
Once Stanton is back, a decision looms. The Yankees may have to choose between Anthony Volpe and Dominguez for the bench. The four-man bench leaves little wiggle room.
Schmidt shifts rehab as rotation reshuffles
Clarke Schmidt represents a longer view. The right-hander is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He is moving his program from Tampa up to New York next week.
The Yankees right-hander has been throwing bullpen sessions. He has not yet faced hitters. He could become a factor in the second half if all goes well.
There is also rotation shuffling to track. Carlos Rodon is lined up to start Friday against the Athletics. He was pushed back a few days after Saturday’s rainout. That move let Yankees ace Gerrit Cole start Wednesday on his regular fifth day.
The Yankees have off-days Thursday and the following Monday. The scheduling let them manage Cole’s rest. Rodon threw a bullpen Monday and will open the Athletics series.
For now, the spotlight stays on Fried. He is throwing, but the Yankees are not celebrating. Boone’s careful words said more than the catch session ever could. The wait, for the team’s ace, is far from over.
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