Max Fried Denies Blister Re-aggravation Despite Struggles in Yankees' Loss

Yankees' ace Max Fried denied that a recent blister issue, which forced him to miss a start, flared up during Wednesday night's 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays, despite being observed rubbing his fingers and having blood on his pinkie. Fried attributed his poor performance, which included walking batters and committing two of the Yankees' four errors, to a lack of command, stating he 'just didn't do my job tonight.' He notably used fastballs at a season-high 79.4% and largely avoided secondary off-speed pitches, which require a grip uncomfortable with a blister. Despite surrendering key hits in the sixth inning, Fried is expected to make his next scheduled start against the Rays, and he currently holds a 2.62 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 127.1 innings this season.