It is honestly wild just how many injuries the Atlanta Braves have had to deal with in 2024. Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider, and Ray Kerr were all lost to season ending injuries and that doesn't include missed time by Sean Murphy, Reynaldo Lopez, Tyler Matzek, Max Fried, and the newly healthy Michael Harris II who is returning to the lineup Wednesday night.
The latest name to be on the Braves' injury report is stalwart reliever AJ Minter who went on the IL for the second time this season with a hip injury. Hip injuries can range from general soreness that rest can fix to career-altering injuries, so fans were understandably concerned when Minter went on the shelf again with basically the same ailment.
Unfortunately, those fears were at least partially realized on Wednesday evening when it was revealed that after getting examined by a specialist, it was determined that Minter needs hip surgery and there is a real chance that we have seen the last of him in a Braves uniform.
Minter needs hip surgery. With six weeks left, the assumption is he'll miss the remainder of the season. But Snitker said a definite timeline won't be known until the procedure is completed
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 15, 2024
Braves News: AJ Minter could miss rest of 2024 season after need for hip surgery revealed
Lets focus on what we don't know first. While we do know that surgery is required on Minter's hip now, we still don't know the exact nature of his injury and his doctors may not even know yet how invasive it needs to be. If it is a fairly simple repair with little digging around, he could be right as rain for 2025 although any hope of a 2024 return seems like a big stretch at this point of the season. However, there is also a chance that it could be a more serious issue which honestly could alter the trajectory of his career.
What we do know is that this is a massive blow to the Braves' bullpen that has been good, but is running out of depth in a hurry now. Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, and Joe Jimenez have been largely great and Aaron Bummer and Jesse Chavez have had their moments, but losing such a steady lefty presence like Minter is a huge loss for a Braves' team that can't seem to catch a break this season.
Sadly, this means it is possible that Braves fans won't get a chance to see Minter in a Braves uniform again. Assuming that he is indeed out for the rest of 2024, Minter is a free agent after the season where anything could happen. If he is healthy, the Braves would probably love to bring Minter back given his contributions to the team, but that possibility looks less likely with today's news.