Max Fried exits early with blister as Yankees fall to Cubs

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Jul 12, 2025

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — Max Fried didn’t exactly scream like Ringo Starr at the end of “Helter Skelter,” but the southpaw did complain about a blister on his left index finger before prematurely exiting the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday afternoon.

Fried, making his final start of the first half, complained about the bleb at the end of a 29-pitch third inning. With the Yankees not playing the cleanest defense in the frame, including an airmailed throw from Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Cubs took advantage and scored three runs off Fried, who was replaced by Ian Hamilton at the start of the fourth.

Blisters have been an issue for Fried in the past, as they sent him to the injured list in four of his eight seasons with the Braves.

An American League All-Star in his first season with the Yankees, Fried had already decided against pitching in Tuesday’s exhibition, which will take place in Atlanta. The Yankees also open the second half in Atlanta next Friday.

With Fried hitting the showers early on Saturday, he ends his first half with an 11-3 record and 2.43 ERA over 20 starts. The 31-year-old totaled three innings, six hits, four runs (3 earned), three walks, two strikeouts and 73 pitches against the Cubs.

Fried also permitted a run in the first following a leadoff triple from Nico Hoerner and a Kyle Tucker grounder.

While Fried’s abrupt departure put the Yankees in an unenviable position, a couple relievers, namely Hamilton, kept them in the game for a few innings.

However, Jonathan Loáisiga surrendered a solo homer to Carson Kelly in the eighth. The reliever has now given up a career-high seven home runs and has a 5.01 ERA after undergoing elbow surgery early last season.

Aaron Boone and Matt Blake recently said that the righty was trending in the right direction and that he’s been a bit unlucky. However, Blake also said that Loáisiga is “still rounding into the pre-Tommy John version” of himself and that the league has adjusted to his go-to sinker.

While Kelly’s homer made for another disappointing outing for Loáisiga, it didn’t matter much with Matthew Boyd holding the Yankees scoreless for eight innings. The veteran left-hander, an unexpected first-time All-Star, permitted just four hits while walking none and striking out six against a lineup that dropped 11 runs on the Cubs in Friday’s opener.

Aaron Judge did get the Yankees on the board in the ninth, smoking a two-run jack off Brad Keller for his 35th home run of the season and the 350th of his career. While it was too little, too late for the pinstripers, Judge is now the fastest player to reach 350 career homers. He needed just 1,088 games.

Judge also has the most homers prior to the All-Star break in Yankees history.

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