The Atlanta Braves have been pretty banged up this season. They lost their best pitcher and best hitter in the middle of the year to season-ending injuries. Still, Atlanta is chugging along pretty well despite their injuries, mostly by finding other players to fill in. The bullpen is no exception: veteran reliever AJ Minter had been injured for quite some time now, yet the Braves' bullpen is still holding strong.
Now, Minter is set to make his return from injury, per Justin Toscano. The Braves set-up man completed his rehab assignment in the minor leagues and has been activated on the roster. Right-hander Daysbel Hernández was optioned to make room for the returning pitcher.
“Atlanta on Monday returned A.J. Minter from his rehab assigsnment and reinstated him from the injured list. Minter had been out since late May due to a left hip impingement. On his rehab assignment, he allowed one earned run over three innings across three appearances. Minter pitched one inning with High-A Rome, then two with Triple-A Gwinnett.”
The Braves' bullpen has found a solid groove so far even without the veteran Minter. Pierce Johnson and Joe Jimenez are the usual suspects, with an occasional appearance from the likes of Jesse Chavez and Dylan Lee. Raisel Iglesias continues to be one of the best closers in baseball, which is a relief.
Minter struggled at times with the long ball this season, but he still one of the better relieves the Braves have. A part of the 2021 championship team, Minter had a 2.95 ERA before suffering a hip injury this season. His return will make the solid Braves bullpen even stronger.
Braves' injury troubles
The Braves have been riddled by injuries this season. The two biggest injuries are the injuries to their top stars. Early in the season, ace Spencer Strider was ruled out for the year after suffering an elbow injury and undergoing Tommy John. Strider was poised for a major year, so that injury hurt Atlanta fans hard.
And then, disaster struck once again. Ronald Acuna Jr suffered another ACL injury (this time to his other knee) during a freak incident while running the bases. The reigning NL MVP was ruled out for the entire season, putting the fate of the Braves in jeopardy.
Despite the numerous injuries (other members of the lineup suffered an injury as well), the Braves are still chugging along. They have relinquished the NL East to the Philadelphia Phillies, but they still hold a respectable 46-36 record. They're well in the mix for the Wild Card race. If you'll recall, this is almost the same situation Atlanta found themselves in 2021 before their championship run.
That championship was born out of the trades that Alex Anthopoulos swung during the trade deadline. The acquisitions of Adam Duvall (who's back on the team again) and Jorge Soler proved to be instrumental to their legendary playoff run. Will the Braves general manager find that magic trade to once again help Atlanta win the World Series. They still have a solid roster, after all.
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