This injured NY Mets player is the one who may finally clear out the dead weight

We haven't seen A.J. Minter throw a pitch for the New York Mets in over a year. Out since April 2025 after undergoing lat surgery, the veteran reliever is working his way back to Queens on a rehab assignment, which was going pretty well if his 1.17 ERA and 0% walk rate are to be believed.

According to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, the plan was to have Minter throw in back-to-back games this week for the first time since his surgery. His return, of course, would be a big boon for a Mets pitching staff that is already trying to carry the team; by either ERA (3.91, 10th-best) or FIP (3.52, 2nd), Mendoza's group of arms have been among the best in the league.

Unfortunately, he hit a setback in his rehab and will be shut down for a few days. The concern level is minimal, but it does delay this conversation a bit. If Minter is out longer than expected, will the Mets be able to keep hiding the weak links among their relief corps?

A.J. Minter can solve Mets' biggest bullpen problem, but injuries are becoming a worrying trend

The Mets already cleared out some of their bullpen crunch by releasing Carl Edwards Jr., but that didn't solve the biggest flaw among the relief corps: the lack of southpaws.

Brooks Raley has been putting forth a Herculean performance yet again, emerging as perhaps the most reliable late-inning reliever that Mendoza has at his disposal. Some of that has been wrought by the continued struggles of Luke Weaver and Devin Williams, but it's also a testament to the sub-2.00 ERA the 37-year-old has supplied this year.

Unfortunately, the other two lefties who have seen significant time in the bullpen, Sean Manaea and David Peterson, have been far from reliable. Both have ERAs in the sixes, though in fairness, the expected stats are far more bullish on their abilities (especially Peterson).

Minter brings extra value to the table thanks to his closing experience (36 career saves), as well as his propensity for shutting down left-handed batters (who historically have a .219 batting average against him). He can't eat innings in the way that those two can, but Mendoza would surely love to have someone with Minter's experience in high-leverage situations at his disposal.

The good news is this hip injury isn't related to his long-term lat issue, though any setbacks are concerning for an aging pitcher with a terrifying recent injury history (he suffered a torn labrum back in 2024). His eventual return should give Raley a much-needed partner in crime, though the Mets may play things cautiously as they slip further out of contention.

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