In a concerning turn for the Yankees' suddenly healthy rotation, left-hander Max Fried was pulled from Wednesday's start against the Baltimore Orioles after just three innings due to elbow posterior soreness. The team announced that Fried will undergo tests and further evaluation during Thursday's off-day.

The 31-year-old struggled through his abbreviated outing, surrendering three runs on five hits and a walk. It's been a rough stretch for Fried, who has allowed 11 runs on 17 hits with seven walks over his last 14 innings across three starts. His command issues have been persistent enough that he abandoned his windup four starts ago, opting to pitch exclusively from the stretch.

The timing is especially frustrating given that the Yankees' rotation was finally getting healthy. Carlos Rodón returned from the injured list this past weekend, and Gerrit Cole is expected back after two or three more rehab starts. New York's depth chart now faces a potential gap, though the team won't rush Cole's return.

One bright spot in the depth department is top prospect Rodríguez, who made two spot starts earlier this season and would likely get the call to bridge any gap between Fried and Cole's return. The Yankees' rotation entered Wednesday ranked second in MLB with a 3.06 ERA and first with 5.6 WAR, powered by breakout seasons from Schlittler, Warren, and Weathers.

But even with that depth, losing Fried for any extended time would be a significant blow in what's shaping up to be a tight AL East race. The Yankees sit at 27-16, two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, though their plus-76 run differential leads the American League by a commanding 52 runs. For now, all eyes are on Thursday's test results as the Bombers hope for good news on their veteran lefty.