Despite the New York Mets getting swept on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs — which prolonged their losing streak to a dreadful 11 in a row — the club received much-needed news on veteran reliever A.J. Minter.
Mets Receive Positive A.J. Minter Rehab News
Minter has not appeared in a game in nearly a year. In his last outing (April 20, 2025), he exited in the eighth inning with what was later diagnosed as a season-ending lat strain. Before the injury, he posted a 1.64 ERA across 13 appearances.
The left-hander was initially expected to miss the remainder of the 2025 season with hopes of returning in time for Opening Day 2026. However, that timeline changed when Minter underwent surgery on his left lat in March 2026. Now healthy, Minter has begun a rehab assignment in the minor leagues. As of April 20, he has thrown 3 2/3 scoreless innings between Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. His current timeline for a return to the Majors is late April or early May—an encouraging development for a Mets team in need of bullpen reinforcements.
The Mets signed Minter to a two-year, $22 million deal ahead of the 2025 season. As part of an effort to strengthen the back end of their bullpen. Before joining New York, Minter spent eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves. Over that span, the Texas A&M product posted a 3.28 ERA across 348 2/3 innings. Striking out 422 batters and recording 36 saves in 384 appearances.
The 32-year-old established himself as a reliable late-inning arm in Atlanta, even stepping into a closing role at times. His best season came in 2022, when he recorded a 2.06 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over 70 innings while striking out 94 batters, adding five saves, and holding opponents to a .198 batting average.
Main Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
