Max Fried takes encouraging Yankees step with return timetable unclear: Really sharp

Standing behind home plate as he watched the beginning of the simulated game, pitching coach Matt Blake took in a few pitches before turning around and shouting to a few members of the Yankees’ front office.“Good deadline acquisition,” Blake yelled with a smile.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

Max Fried does not yet have a firm timetable to return, but his positive progression grew a bit more tangible Tuesday.For the first time since exiting a game in Baltimore on May 13, the Yankees lefty faced hitters again.He threw 28 pitches in two simulated innings to Ryan McMahon and Trent Grisham, looked encouraged coming off the mound and looked like himself on it.“I’ve faced him a couple times [in my career].

It’s never fun,” McMahon said.“It still wasn’t fun today.

So it definitely looks like Max Fried.”The sight of Fried pitching again was enticing enough to fill the Yankees’ dugout about four hours before the first pitch of the night’s game against the Tigers.Aaron Boone, plenty of members of his coaching staff, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, much of the bullpen and Cody Bellinger were among the many to see Fried taking the next step toward a return with an elbow that did not betray any issues.Fried is recovering from a left elbow bone bruise that has cost him about seven weeks and counting, but the injury was less serious than originally feared, since his UCL was OK.He had been throwing throughout his downtime on the injured list but has gotten the green light to begin building up.

The next step for Fried is another live session Sunday, so he does not have a date yet even for a rehab assignment and figures to be at least a month away.But barring a setback, the Yankees will have another ace — a third — to reincorporate into the rotation during the second half.“Looked great.Like, really good,” Boone said.

“Stuff was good.I thoug...