A.J. Minter has been absent from the Braves’ lineup since late May after pitching against the Washington Nationals. Initially sidelined due to “hip inflammation,” the expectation was that he would return as soon as he completed the mandatory 15 days on the injured list (IL). Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened. It’s now been three weeks, and Minter has yet to pitch at any level, though there are signs of progress, according to Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Minter threw a bullpen session Monday,” Toscano reports. “He said he’ll throw live batting practice Wednesday in Rome against hitters from the Braves’ High-A affiliate. He’s scheduled to pitch in a rehab game for Rome on Saturday.”
Toscano also revealed that Minter’s injury was more severe than initially thought. He has been dealing with a hip impingement, which has prolonged his absence and might explain why his velocity has been slightly down this season.
“Obviously, the velocity has been down a little bit this year,” Minter said, as reported by Toscano. “I was trying to tell the trainers, ‘I just can’t use my legs real well.’ They looked at it and did all the tests they do, and I was getting a little bit of irritation with any external rotation in my hip.”
Minter’s velocity has been a hallmark of his career. In his eighth season in the majors, his fastball has consistently averaged between 95.5 and 96.6 MPH. This year, however, his fastball has averaged 94.9 MPH. While not drastically lower, this decrease could be attributed to his hip injury, suggesting that the IL stint might ultimately benefit him.
Despite the injury, Minter has maintained impressive performance metrics this season, with a 2.95 ERA, 0.984 WHIP, and 9.7 K/9. These numbers are slightly below his career averages, but the prospect of Minter returning in even better form is promising for the Braves.
Based on the latest updates, Minter could potentially return to the Braves as early as next week.
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