SAL notes: Fried gets a fresh start in Rome

Situations beyond his control have led Max Fried to push the reset button on his young career. And, truth be told, the lanky left-hander could not be happier.

Drafted by the San Diego Padres with the seventh overall pick in 2012, Fried has seen his career take a couple of unexpected turns since he signed out of high school. The Californian made his professional debut in the Midwest League in 2013 and posted a 6-7 record with a 3.49 ERA in 23 starts at Fort Wayne.

A year later, the southpaw was limited to 10 2/3 innings before undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2014. That caused him to miss the entire 2015 slate before he returned to the mound this season in the South Atlantic League.

"It's unbelievable; it's been a long time coming, especially the competitive aspect of it," said the 22-year-old. "Being able to be back on the mound and throwing and fighting for wins is what I've been wanting to do for the last couple of years. To be able to get back doing this is everything I could have dreamed of."

While recovering from his surgery, Fried experienced a change of address. On Dec. 19, 2014, the pitcher -- along with infielders Jace Peterson and Dustin Peterson and outfielder Mallex Smith -- was shipped to Atlanta in exchange for outfielder Justin Upton and Minor League pitcher Aaron Northcraft. Considering Fried's potential, many observers were shocked the Padres decided to deal the southpaw. But no one was more surprised than Fried.

"I was only three months out of surgery, and I hadn't even picked up a ball yet," Fried said. "To get the news that I was going to be a Brave was shocking but also exciting. Growing up as a Dodgers fan, I always saw the Braves in the playoffs. Seeing that on the other side of the country and realizing this is really a prestigious organization made me realize what a great opportunity it was for me."

Fried made steady progress in his recovery during the 2015 season, but the Braves had no plans to rush him back. After strong showings during instructional league as well as Spring Training, the left-hander was assigned to Rome to give him a chance to build a strong foundation.

His first two starts were impressive. He allowed two earned runs and three hits over five innings versus Augusta on April 9 in his Braves debut before tossing six scoreless frames while surrendering only two hits and fanning seven at Asheville five days later.

Fried struggled in a rematch with Augusta on April 20, and while Atlanta's No. 10 prospect admits he is still working on maintaining the feel of his pitches, the quality of his offerings remains impressive. His heavy low-90s fastball, sharp overhand curveball and improving changeup have generated a groundout-to-flyout ratio of 2.38 while impressively disrupting opposing hitters' timing.

"I think I'm a little more advanced in the mental game," Fried said. "I had a lot of time to work on that while I was rehabbing and picking the brains of other guys. I feel I can assess what I'm doing wrong quicker so I can fix it and make adjustments. I'm working hard on the mental aspects of my game instead of relying solely on the physical parts."

Fried could be in line for a promotion soon if he continues to excel in the SAL. At this point, the lefty says where he is pitching is not important. His goal at this point is simply to take the mound every fifth day and work on becoming the best pitcher he can possibly be.

"Just to be able to go out and compete again has been my goal," Fried said. "I missed it so much, and I realize now that I kind of took it for granted initially. Coming back and being the pitcher I've always wanted to be by attacking guys and fighting every outing is what I plan on doing."

In brief

Great start for Dobson: Dillon Dobson has rebounded nicely after going 0-for-3 on Opening Night at Rome. The Augusta shortstop has hit safely in his last 13 games. In addition to ranking second in the SAL in slugging percentage and posting a slash line of .333/.400/.745, he has five of the GreenJackets' 10 home runs, and 10 of his 17 hits have gone for extra bases.

Rogers on a roll: Charleston left-hander Josh Rogers might want to enjoy the South Carolina coast while he can. The left-hander from the University of Louisville has dominated in his last two starts, including a masterful performance at Columbia on April 19. Rogers scattered three hits, fanned eight and walked none over 7 2/3 scoreless innings. Overall, he has a 2-1 record with a 1.45 ERA, good for ninth on the circuit. He also is tied for second with 20 strikeouts and is second in the loop with 18 2/3 innings pitched.

Rave reviews in Columbia: Professional baseball returned to the Palmetto State's capital on April 15 when Spirit Communications Park welcomed a sellout crowd of 9,077 fans. The new ballpark is drawing plenty of praise from teams, scouts and patrons while averaging 4,693 fans during the Fireflies' first six games. This is Columbia's first Minor League team since 2004.