The Braves might be facing a turning point after a crushing injury update on A.J. Minter.
A.J. Minter may have played his final game in a Braves uniform. The Atlanta Braves have been plagued by injuries this season, and few would disagree with that sentiment.
Unfortunately, A.J. Minter must now be added to the list of key Braves players sidelined by injury. The reliever was placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday due to hip inflammation. A visit to a specialist confirmed that the problem is more severe than initially thought and won’t be resolved in just 15 days.
Manager Brian Snitker announced on Wednesday that Minter will require surgery. The full extent of the issue won’t be known until the surgeons assess it, according to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While Minter hasn’t been officially ruled out for the rest of the season, the possibility looms large.
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Minter’s absence isn’t necessarily a knockout blow for the Braves, but it certainly adds to their challenges. Despite dealing with this hip issue for much of the season—he even missed all of June because of it—Minter has managed a solid 2.62 ERA and a 1.019 WHIP from the bullpen. Among Braves relievers, only Raisel Iglesias has better numbers.
The silver lining is that the Braves still have a strong bullpen, featuring Iglesias, Joe Jiménez, Aaron Bummer, and Pierce Johnson.
However, Minter’s absence will put extra pressure on what has been one of Atlanta’s most dependable units. With a faltering offense and injury concerns in the rotation, any slip in bullpen performance could spell the end of the Braves’ playoff hopes.
These hopes have already been severely undermined by season-ending injuries to players like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider. While Michael Harris returned to the lineup on Wednesday, Ozzie Albies is still out, and pitcher Reynaldo López’s potential return is uncertain due to setbacks, leaving Atlanta hoping for the best.
The Braves are currently six games behind the Phillies in the NL East and are holding onto the third wild-card spot with a two-game lead over the Mets.
Although the season isn’t lost, especially given the unpredictability of wild card contenders like the Mets, Giants, and Cardinals, each injury Atlanta suffers feels like an additional burden on an already uphill battle. How much more can the Braves endure before it becomes too much? The Braves have been battling injuries since the season began. Even before the All-Star break, they lost key players like starting pitcher Spencer Strider and superstar outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. for the season. With additional injuries to Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, and Reynaldo López, the Braves’ season has been nothing short of a disaster.
And just when it seemed things couldn’t get worse, one of their key replacements has been sidelined with an injury of his own.
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