Yankees being cautious with Max Fried; possible southpaw could miss minimum 15 days on IL

The Yankees placed Max Fried on the IL on Monday due to a bone bruise, but manager Aaron Boone revealed that the team was taking a cautious approach with the left-hander and that they are optimistic about Fried's health.

Speaking with the media ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Orioles in Baltimore, Boone broke down the events that led to the organization's decision to put Fried on the IL. 

"Felt it on a pitch in his last start and then a little bit after," Boone said. "We were going through his normal five-day, expecting him to pitch Wednesday. Played catch Saturday, threw a side on Sunday, which actually went ok. We collectively decided that it’s best to keep it calmed down and keep it a smaller issue."

Boone said Fried had an MRI that confirmed that "low-level" inflammation, and that he played catch in New York on Tuesday. 

Fried missed two months this season for the same injury, which is a big reason for the Yankees' approach to this latest injury. Carlos Rodon was activated Monday and is starting Tuesday, taking Fried's spot on the active roster. Although Boone said Rodon's return did not directly determine whether Fried was placed on the IL, the stars aligned for the move to be made without the Yankees losing a starter. 

Boone repeatedly said Tuesday that this bone bruise is not the same as the last one, but since it has to deal with the elbow, things could change. Although Boone does not believe this will take Fried out for the rest of the regular season. When pressed why he felt it wasn't the same, the Yankees skipper said he's going off of what the medical professionals had told him and how Fried has felt. 

"I was told that it was good news," Boone said. "And based on how he was doing, he’s probably in line to take his next start; we’re just being cautious with this to have him healthy the rest of the way."

Fried made 10 starts before being placed on the IL in mid-May and made five starts since returning. In those five starts, Fried pitched to a 1.82 ERA. His last start saw him allow one run in five innings against the Mariners. 

Boone also gave a short update on Aaron Judge, saying the slugger will start his hitting progression sometime this week. 

Judge played catch Friday for the first time and now that he's getting ready to take swings, the reigning two-time AL MVP is getting closer to an eventual return. 

Judge was placed on the IL with a right rib stress fracture in early June. The 34-year-old was slashing .248/.375/.533 with an OPS of .908 to go along with his 17 home runs and 38 RBI before going down with the injury.