SAN FRANCISCO – A.J. Minter might have thrown his final pitch for the Atlanta Braves, which is a sad possibility for a homegrown player who cares so much about the organization that drafted him.
Braves manager Brian Snitker on Wednesday said Minter needs surgery on his left hip next week. Minter saw a specialist for a further evaluation, and the visit revealed the need for an operation.
The Braves still do not know whether or not Minter will pitch again this season.
“They’ll know after they do the surgery,” Snitker said. “But until they do that and get in there, I don’t think they do know what the extent will be.”
But as of this writing, it’s Aug. 14. Only a month and a half remains in this regular season. If Minter were to return in the postseason, for example, that would mean he’d need to come back in around two months or so.
Atlanta on Monday placed Minter on the 15-day injured list with left hip inflammation – the same injury he dealt with when he landed on the injured list in late May. At that time, he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was dealing with a hip impingement. He felt he’d gotten it cleaned up through treatment. He came off the injured list and pitched.
He performed well. After coming off the injured list on July 3, he allowed three earned runs over 13 innings across 14 appearances. He competed through the hip injury. His four-seam fastball velocity dipped a tick.
Now, he’ll undergo an operation. Upon its completion, the Braves will be able to give an official update on whether they expect Minter to pitch again this season.
Minter is a free agent at season’s end.
The Braves’ bullpen is strong, but Minter was a key part of the group. In addition to his leadership, he’s one of Snitker’s late-inning options.
The Braves will have to make this upcoming push to the postseason without him.
Reynaldo López will slot into the rotation back home
Reynaldo López will likely start at home at the beginning of next week, Snitker said.
This seems to mean that López will pitch Tuesday’s series opener against the Phillies at Truist Park. This would give him a full six days between starts.
On Tuesday, López allowed three runs on six hits over four innings. He threw 71 pitches, 47 for strikes.
“After the first inning – I watched a little bit on the computer – he kind of amped things up a little bit,” Snitker said. “Velocities were really good and the reports from the guys that were there on-site were really good, too.”
López’s fastball touched 96.7 mph. It averaged 94.5 mph over his outing.
About the Author
