Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that Max Fried will start Friday's game against the San Diego Padres, with Will Warren pitching behind him. The decision comes as the team manages Fried's return from the injured list and looks to protect an overtaxed bullpen.
Boone made the statement ahead of Tuesday's game against the Angels, saying, "We'll have Max go Friday, [and] we'll probably have Will go behind him. We'll probably keep Max in a similar spot. [Warren] could slide back in. We'll see. We'll see how it all shakes out."
Fried returned from a 15-day stint on the injured list due to a bone bruise in his pitching elbow on Saturday, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Red Sox. He threw 63 pitches in his first start since returning, giving up three hits, walking one, and striking out four. The Yankees are still building up Fried's pitch count, and it could take a few more starts before they relax it.
Warren is coming off one of his best starts of the season on Sunday, throwing seven innings of one-run ball against Boston. He struck out seven and walked one in the 98-pitch outing, though he was removed in the eighth after a couple of Boston hitters reached base. Warren lowered his ERA to 4.23 with the performance.
The Yankees took three of four against the Red Sox in that weekend series and claimed the season series, which affects home field in the Wild Card round if the two rivals finish with identical records.
Warren was nearly squeezed out of the rotation in recent weeks, but he figures to pitch out of the bullpen come October. He is scheduled to visit the Padres at Petco Park in his next appearance, which aligns with the piggyback plan.
Fried's return to the rotation effectively put both pitchers on turn to pitch Friday. As Fried's pitch count is still being built up, Warren would offer relief to the club's bullpen, which has been overtaxed.
While Warren could slot back into the rotation after his planned relief outing, the Yankees' turn toward the piggyback strategy may also shed light on the decision to keep a sixth starter, rookie right-hander Elmer Rodríguez, on the roster. Boone said, "We'll probably have some piggyback scenarios coming up. There [are] some iterations with dates and another double header coming at the end of the month."
Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake added that Fried was up to 60 pitches during his final live batting practice session earlier in the week, which is roughly the same number they're targeting in his return from the injured list. The 32-year-old ace unexpectedly hit the injured list with a bone bruise and inflammation in his elbow earlier this month.