Braves Protect Max Fried From Rule 5 Draft

The Atlanta Braves don’t have any Jewish players on their likely 25-man roster for 2017, their first season in SunTrust Park in Cobb County, but they have ensured that a promising Jewish pitcher remains in the pipeline.

In preparation for the Rule 5 draft, in which teams can select unprotected players from other teams’ minor-league systems, the Braves added Rome Braves pitcher Max Fried to their 40-man roster, thus preventing him from being taken.

Fried, a 2012 first-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres who came to the Braves in the Justin Upton trade in December 2014, continued an injury-marred career with two stints on the disabled list for Class A Rome and finished his first season back from Tommy John surgery with a record of 8-7 and a 3.93 ERA with an encouraging 112 strikeouts in 103 innings.

He was Rome’s ace in the South Atlantic League playoffs, winning the semifinal-clinching game with a one-run, 11-strikeout performance in a 4-1 victory over Charleston, then striking out 13 in seven innings in a 6-1 win that clinched the championship over Lakewood.