The Atlanta Braves placed RP AJ Minter on the 15-day injured list Saturday, per Braves beat writer Justin Toscano. The transaction is backdated to July 12th, however. Minter, who's dealing with shoulder inflammation, was replaced by Dereck Rodriguez on the Braves' roster.
Atlanta is the best team in baseball at the moment. They feature a balanced roster and project to make another deep playoff run in 2023. That said, the Braves' bullpen is dealing with uncertainty. Relievers Nick Anderson and Jesse Chavez are both currently dealing with injuries. With other bullpen arms hurt as well, this AJ Minter move leaves Atlanta in a difficult position. The Braves may need to trade for a reliever prior to the 2023 deadline.
Braves' roster following AJ Minter injury
Again, and this cannot be stressed enough, but the Braves' roster still features no shortage of talent. Atlanta may consider dealing for an extra starting pitcher given Max Fried and Kyle Wright's injury concerns. Offensively, nobody would blame Atlanta for trusting in their current lineup given its depth. As aforementioned, that leaves the bullpen.
In addition to Minter, Anderson, and Chavez, other relief options who've dealt with injuries in 2023 include Tyler Matzek, Dylan Lee, and Huascar Ynoa. Although the Braves' bullpen is still productive, trading for at least one more arm wouldn't hurt. They could make a deal for a decent reliever, however, acquiring a star closer like Scott Barlow of the Kansas City Royals also makes sense.
It will be interesting to follow the Braves' 2023 MLB trade deadline moves. For now, Atlanta will focus on taking care of business against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
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