CHICAGO — Throughout the season, the Braves have played without key contributors.
On Friday, they got back Max Fried, their ace. He made his first start since early May.
Here’s more good news: Dylan Lee will begin a rehab assignment Saturday. He’ll throw one inning for Triple-A Gwinnett, which plays host to Indianapolis at 6:05 p.m. at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville.
Lee, a left-handed reliever, dealt with left shoulder inflammation. Like Fried, he’s been on the injured list since May.
When all goes well, Lee is one of the Braves’ more reliable relievers. Before hitting the injured list, Lee had allowed seven earned runs in 20-1/3 innings. Since the start of last season, he has a 2.41 ERA over 71 innings.
The Braves recently acquired right-hander Pierce Johnson and left-hander Brad Hand to strengthen their bullpen. Once Lee returns, they’ll have three lefties, which should give manager Brian Snitker more flexibility when managing games.
The Braves finally are getting back to full strength. Fried returned Friday. Lee is beginning his rehab assignment Saturday. Kyle Wright should return in September, along with righty Nick Anderson.
Despite the injuries, the Braves have baseball’s best record.
Travis d’Arnaud accomplishes incredible feat
On Friday, Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud reached an incredible milestone: 10 years of Major League service time.
“Thank you to everyone who helped me get to this point,” d’Arnaud said in an Instagram post. “Has been an unbelievable ride. Wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Added Snitker: “It’s awesome, any time anybody does that. It’s such a benchmark date in the game, and it’s a big deal when a guy reaches 10 years. I’m just really happy that he’s doing it with us and can continue on. He’s been such a big part of what we’ve been doing here, accomplishing the last few years. Just happy for him to reach that milestone, which is great.”
In 2007, the Phillies drafted d’Arnaud with the No. 37 overall pick. In 2009, the Phillies traded d’Arnaud to the Blue Jays in the deal that netted them Roy Halladay. In 2012, Toronto dealt him to the Mets.
D’Arnaud debuted in 2013, for the Mets. He’s played in the majors for four teams – the Mets, the Braves, the Rays and the Dodgers – over parts of 11 seasons.
In July, the Braves signed d’Arnaud to a one-year, $8 million contract extension for 2024, with a club option for 2025.
Braves designate Guthrie for assignment
After Wednesday’s game, the Braves optioned right-hander Ben Heller to Triple-A Gwinnett, which cleared a spot for Fried on the 26-man roster.
The club still had to make a 40-man roster move for Fried. The Braves on Friday designated outfielder Dalton Guthrie for assignment.
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