Minter will look to get back on track after a rocky start to the season.
Braves setup man A.J. Minter threw a bullpen session on Monday and will make a rehab appearance on Saturday with the Rome Emperors, the club’s High-A affiliate, according to a report of Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Minter has been on the injured list since May 30 with what is being called a left hip impingement.
Minter’s season to date has been marred by homers, giving up five long balls through the first 21.2 innings of the season. Compare that to a total of 13 homers surrendered up by the southpaw in all of 2021, 2022 and 2023 combined. There should be some positive regression on the way for Minter, especially as he distances himself from the hip issue that was clearly impacting his performance. His velocity was also down anywhere from 1-2 mph dating back to the past two seasons, perhaps a product of the hip ailment.
The Braves’ bullpen has performed adequately through the first few months of the season. It ranks 6th in the majors in ERA (3.36) and 9th in xFIP (3.85). A healthy Minter should only deepen the group; currently, Aaron Bummer and Dylan Lee are the lone lefties in the bullpen.