    Report: Braves’ hit man Placed on 15-Day IL with Forearm Injury
Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried is on the injured list for the second time this season.
The team announced on Tuesday that Fried was placed on the 15-day IL with a strained left forearm. The move is retroactive to May 6.
Per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, there’s no concern from Fried’s MRI that he will need Tommy John surgery, but it’s not expected to be a short-term IL stint, because he won’t throw again until the forearm is completely healed and will need time to build his arm back up.
Left-hander Danny Young was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Fried’s spot on the roster.
Fried had his worst start of the season in his most recent outing on May 5 against the Baltimore Orioles. He allowed seven runs (five earned) on eight hits over six innings.
In his first four starts combined, Fried only allowed one earned run and 14 hits over 20 innings. The 29-year-old did miss two weeks early in the season because of a strained hamstring suffered in his first start on March 30 against the Washington Nationals.
Atlanta’s pitching staff is starting to thin out because of pitcher injuries. Kyle Wright was placed on the IL last week because of shoulder soreness. He began the year on the injured list while recovering from a cortisone injection in his shoulder January.
One reason the Braves have had so much success recently is because of the depth they have accumulated. Their lineup remains dangerous with all of their key contributors healthy.
Losing two starting pitchers in quick succession would be devastating to most teams. Atlanta still has a top three of Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Bryce Elder to carry the rotation.
Young has already made four appearances out of the Braves’ bullpen this season. He has a 2.45 ERA with six strikeouts in 3.2 innings.
Atlanta has a seven-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East. Its 24-11 record is the second-best in MLB, behind only the Tampa Bay Rays (29-7).
