The Atlanta Braves' season is over following the club's 5-4 loss to the San Diego Padres in the wild-card series on Wednesday—and the defeat could spell the end of starting pitcher Max Fried's tenure with the team.
Fried, a free agent this offseason, became emotional when he was asked what it has meant to him to wear the Braves uniform following the club's playoff elimination.
"To me ... It means everything," Fried said, according to Zach Klein of WSB-TV. "It's the organization that traded for me and gave me an opportunity to come to the big leagues and be an established big league player."
"Everyone, from my teammates here day-in, day-out, coaching staff, front office, organization, fans, city ... Obviously, don't know what's going to happen. But I've absolutely loved every minute of it and hope there are many more."
I’ve never seen Braves pitcher Max Fried this emotional.. just sat at his locker.. taking it all in before and after visiting with the media.
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) October 3, 2024
I asked what it means to wear the Braves uniform….
“To me….It means everything” pic.twitter.com/m9zJXyHykI
If Wednesday was indeed Fried's final start as a member of the Braves, it was a cruel ending. The southpaw lasted just two innings, surrendering eight hits and five earned runs in the loss. In the bottom of the first inning, Fried was hit in the hip by a line drive off the bat of Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.
During the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker told the ESPN broadcast that Fried's hip was bothering him and that the injury factored into the decision to go to the bullpen early.
As poorly as Fried's outing went, it can certainly be argued that the Braves don't even get into the postseason without his eight-inning gem against the Kansas City Royals this past Friday in what may have been his final start at Truist Park.
But it will be difficult for Fried—and Braves fans to deal with an injury and an early exit representing some of the last memories of his tenure with Atlanta.
Fried, who will turn 31 in January, pitched to an 11-10 record with a 3.25 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 174 1/3 innings in 2024. He told reporters at the All-Star Game that he'd "love" to remain in Atlanta. But given the way he pitched in '24, it's fair to expect the Braves to have competition in retaining his services.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Max Fried Becomes Emotional After Potential Final Start With Braves .
