Yankees fans held their breath Wednesday as ace Max Fried exited his start against the Baltimore Orioles after just three innings and 61 pitches. The left-hander appeared visibly uncomfortable on the mound, prompting pitching coach Matt Blake to quickly summon right-hander Paul Blackburn from the bullpen.

Fried's command was notably shaky throughout his abbreviated outing, allowing three runs before calling it a day. The trouble began in the second inning when Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo lined a double past Ryan McMahon at third. Baltimore added to their lead in the third on Adley Rutschman's sacrifice fly and Pete Alonso's RBI single, pushing the advantage to three runs.

The early exit immediately raised concerns about a recurring issue. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch noted on X that Fried's erratic command "makes you wonder if it was a blister issue, something he's dealt with in the past." During his eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves (2017-24), Fried landed on the injured list four separate times with blister problems—a frustrating pattern that has followed him to New York.

For now, the Yankees are hoping this is a minor setback. Fried followed a team official into the tunnel leading to the clubhouse, and the organization is expected to provide an update soon. With the season still young, New York will be crossing its fingers that their prized offseason acquisition can get back on the mound quickly without a lengthy absence.