Rivalry or not, no one ever want to see injuries to the stars of the game. Even more so when the victim is a former member of the Atlanta Braves. Sadly, the expected sour injury news on New York Mets reliever A.J. Minter came out last night and what comes next is season ending surgery for Minter.
Minter will need surgery for a torn lat which comes just one season after his 2024 season was cut short with the Braves due to his hip surgery. Minter's latest injury comes on the heels of signing a two-year $22 million deal this past winter to fortify the Mets bullpen as a trustworthy left-handed option. Now the NL East leading New York Mets will have to get creative in filling the void in the bullpen.
A.J. Minter will have season ending surgery next Monday, for a torn lat.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) May 5, 2025
Former Brave A.J. Minter faces long road back
Minter looked as if he was past his hip injury concerns to begin 2025. His numbers were excellent in a small sample size. Across 13 appearances, Minter had a 1.64 ERA, 1.89 FIP, and 32.6 K%. He looked every bit of dominant that Braves fans grew accustom to watching during his first eight years in Atlanta. Minter was part of a Mets pitching staff who's excellent work has been one of the biggest surprises this season.
Although the Mets currently lead the NL East, losing Minter creates a big late-inning relief problem for the team. Not only that, their other trusted lefty out of the bullpen, Danny Young just went down with season ending Tommy John surgery. That leaves veteran Génesis Cabrera, a minor league signing, as the only left-handed pitcher in the Mets bullpen.
Braves fans hold fond memories of A.J. Minter, and after what the injuries he battled last year this is the last type of news anyone wanted to hear. The Braves have been tested themselves with their own bullpen injuries and inconsistencies, but this blow to the Mets may end up being more costly. Minter has a opt-out clause in his deal with the Mets, and this injury all but guarantees he'll be returning to the Mets in 2026 hoping to rebuild his value.