Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters prior to tonight’s game against the San Fransisco Giants that left handed reliever A.J. Minter will need surgery on his left hip.
A.J. Minter saw the specialist. He needs surgery on his hip. The Braves won’t know the severity until Minter is operated on, Brian Snitker said. The manager couldn’t say for sure whether Minter would miss the rest of the year.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 14, 2024
Minter, who debuted with Atlanta in 2017, faces an uncertain future with the Braves as this is his final season prior to free agency. The Braves’ third-longest tenured current player missed time earlier this season with an issue with the same left hip.
Based on reports, the severity of the issue with his hip won’t be known until he has surgery making the reason of this season – and his future with the organization – unknown.
Minter has appeared in 39 game this season with Atlanta tossing 34.1 inning with a 1.019 WHIP. He also picked up a save while factoring in nine decisions, including five wins.
Although he has been an above average reliever for Atlanta this season, he has posted the lowest K/9 of his career at 9.2 and has seen his four-seam fastball average velocity dip 1.3 MPH down to 94.5 MPH from last season’s 95.8 MPH.
For his career, Minter has appeared in 384 games – which is 10th all-time in franchise history. In those appearances, he has collected 36 saves and 24 wins, while striking out an average of 10.9 batters per nine innings.
