With news of Mike Soroka’s (hopefully harmless) trip to the disabled list, Max Fried will take the ball for the Atlanta Braves on Thursday evening and that change is suddenly the headliner of the festivities against the Chicago Cubs. The 24-year-old left-hander has enjoyed some level of success (2.98 FIP in three starts) in Triple-A Gwinnett this season but, from a Major League standpoint, Fried struggled to a 6.00 ERA in four appearances (all in relief duty) earlier in the season.
Obviously, this is a less than ideal spot for a young pitcher against a quality lineup on short notice but Fried does have considerable talent and he will be flanked by the following lineup in the series finale.