Baseball has one of the longest seasons in all of sports, but that hasn't stopped the 2025 MLB campaign from flying by.
The beginning of May is already here, and the Atlanta Braves have mixed results to show after one month of action, fighting to stay at the .500 mark as the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies continue to pull ahead in the NL East race. It's going to take a stronger, more consistent performance in May if Brian Snitker's club wants to stay in the mix with its rivals, let alone compete for a playoff spot.
The Braves will start May with a day off, making it the perfect time to catch up with how various ex-Atlanta players have started the year. Unfortunately, one former Braves' 2025 campaign might be over just as soon as it began.
Former Braves LHP A.J. Minter Suffers Potential Season-Ending Injury
On Sunday, the Mets announced that former Braves southpaw A.J. Minter had been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left triceps injury. Although a 15-day IL stint isn't usually the worst news, New York manager Carlos Mendoza has since revealed that Minther's ailment could be a season-ending situation.
"All we know is that we're dealing with a pretty significant injury here," Mendoze told reporters on Tuesday. "(Surgery) is on the table, and that's why we're providing (Minter) with all the information so he makes the right decision."
Minter's injury occurred just nine pitches into Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Washington Nationals. He was removed from the game after being checked on by a trainer, leaving time to reveal if he'll be healthy enough to return to the Mets' bullpen again this season.
Minter, 31, is a former World Series-winning reliever who joined the Braves as a second-round pick in the 2015 draft. He pitched up the rankings and eventually joined the big-league club in 2017, kickstarting an eight-year run that saw him go 24-29 with a 3.28 ERA, 36 saves, and 422 strikeouts across 348 2/3 regular-season innings.
That's without mentioning how the Tyler, TX native displayed postseason reliability with a 3-1 record and 2.88 ERA while averaging 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 17 playoff appearances.
Minter's Braves run ended during the offseason when he joined the rival Mets on a two-year, $22 million contract that includes a post-2025 team opt-out clause. The veteran lefty was doing a good job of living up to his price tag before disaster struck, pitching to a 1.64 ERA with 14 strikeouts across 11 innings in his first 13 games as a Met.
While it stings to see a beloved fan favorite joining a division rival, Braves fans wish Minter nothing but the quickest and fullest recovery. Hopefully, he'll be healthy enough to participate in an NL East rivalry matchup sooner rather than later.