Mets' A.J. Minter Faces Lat Injury Setback
The injury to Minter has significant implications for the Mets, who will have to rely on other players to fill the gap left by his absence. With a 10-12 month rehab timeline, Minter's return to the field is uncertain, and the team will have to make adjustments to their roster to compensate for the loss of their key reliever.
New York Mets reliever A.J. Minter will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn lat, a rare and excruciating injury that has forced him to stop pitching, with a 10-12 month rehab timeline potentially jeopardizing his participation in spring training next year.
Minter, who signed a 2-year, $22 million deal with the Mets last offseason, had a promising start to the season with a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings, but the lat tear has become a major setback for the team, which will miss his crucial high-leverage arm from the left side. The injury is not the first for Minter, who underwent left hip surgery last August and will now face a long and challenging road to recovery.
The Mets had relied heavily on Minter, and his injury marks the second consecutive season he'll miss due to injury. The team has selected fellow southpaw J.D. Cabrera to replace Minter, but his performance has been erratic, and the team may look to address their left-handed pitching depth in the coming weeks. Minter's injury is a significant blow to the Mets, who will have to find alternative solutions to fill the gap left by his absence.
As Minter begins his journey to recovery, he is holding out hope for a "somewhat" normal spring in 2026, but for now, the focus is on the challenging road ahead, with physical therapy sessions, small victories, and frustrating plateaus. The Mets will have to navigate the rest of the season without one of their key relievers, and the team's performance will be closely watched in the coming weeks.