Braves ace Fried will return from IL, start against Padres

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried will return from the injured list on Monday and start against the San Diego Padres.

Braves manager Brian Snitker confirmed the decision on Sunday, following Atlanta's 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals, telling reporters the club would not be placing any restrictions on Fried against a powerful Padres lineup.

"You have to use common sense and see, and take it inning to inning," Snitker said. "We'll watch for stressful innings, things like that."

Fried, 29, left Atlanta's Opening Day game earlier this month with a strained left hamstring. He suffered the injury covering first base in the fourth inning of his club's 7-2 victory over the Washington Nationals. He threw one warmup pitch and walked off the mound toward the clubhouse.

Fried is coming off an impressive season in which he finished second in National League Cy Young Award balloting. In 2022, Fried went 14-7 for the second consecutive season while posting a 2.48 ERA and 1.014 WHIP in 30 starts.

In seven seasons with the Braves, Fried is 54-25 with a 3.09 ERA and 1.167 WHIP in 126 games (109 starts).

Fried (0-0, 2.70 ERA) was selected by the Padres with the No. 7 pick of the 2012 draft and was traded to the Braves in December 2014. On Monday night, in San Diego, he will be opposed by Ryan Weathers (1-0, 2.70).

On Sunday, Vaughn Grissom hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning and Ozzie Albies homered as the Braves completed the series sweep of the Royals.

Information from the Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.