NEW YORK – Max Fried makes his second post All-Star break start on Tuesday night, versus the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. After a wondrous All-Star first three months, the Yankees’ lefty ace has had a rough go – including a bout with a blister on his left index finger.

The New York Yankees signed Max Fried to a historic deal last offseason, and he’s been worth every penny. With Gerrit Cole out, the left-hander has stepped up to lead the rotation, going 11-4 in 21 starts with an impressive 2.62 ERA. When it comes to strikeouts, he has 116 in 127 1/3 innings of work.

All of a sudden, the New York Yankees are just 1.5 games from being outside of the current playoff picture. New York occupies the top wild card spot, but the Yankees are just a half-game ahead of the Seattle Mariners,