Braves place LHP Fried, OF Pache on 10-day injured list

ATLANTA (AP) — Braves left-hander Max Fried was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring Wednesday after injuring himself while running the bases.

Fried is off to a rocky start coming off a stellar 2020 season, and now he’s sidelined by a fluke injury in Tuesday night’s loss to the Miami Marlins. He tweaked his hamstring running from second to third on a wild pitch.

The Braves also placed rookie outfielder Cristian Pache on the IL with a strained left groin.

Left-hander Tucker Davidson and outfielder Guillermo Heredia were called up from the alternate-training site to fill the openings.

Fried (0-1) has an 11.45 ERA through three starts after going 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA last season and finishing fifth in the NL Cy Young Award balloting.

He was dreadful in the to the Marlins, allowing nine hits, eight runs (seven earned) and two homers in four innings. In his previous start, he lasted only two innings against the Nationals while surrendering five runs.

Manager Brian Snitker hopes his ace will miss only one start.

“With a hamstring, you just never know,” Snitker said. “It’s just a mild strain. I think we’ll know more in a couple of days. It’s always a concern with those things. They’re so unpredictable.”

Davidson will provide depth in the bullpen until the Braves sort out who will fill Fried’s next turn in the rotation. It would likely be either Bryse Wilson or Kyle Wright.

Pache, who earned the starting center field job in spring training, is also off to a rough start, with a .133 average through 11 games.

Heredia can play all three outfield positions but will likely get most of his time in center field, sharing time with Ender Inciarte.

Snitker said Heredia, a right-handed hitter, will likely get his first start Thursday when the Braves are set to face Marlins left-hander Trevor Rogers.

The Braves didn’t want to take any chances with Pache, one of their top prospects.

“We want to make sure he gets healthy,” Snitker said “It’s not something we want to linger.”

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