Minter (lat) set to miss 'significant' time as Mets mull options

NEW YORK -- The Mets’ most prominent offseason bullpen signing could be facing season-ending surgery.

A.J. Minter and Mets officials are in the process of reviewing multiple medical opinions on the reliever’s left lat muscle, which he injured in a game last Saturday in Washington. Among the potential options is surgery, which would cost Minter the rest of the season.

If Minter instead chooses to rest and rehab his lat, he could still return at some point this year. But he will miss a “significant” period regardless, according to manager Carlos Mendoza.

Team officials remain in “information-gathering mode,” according to president of baseball operations David Stearns, who expects a resolution later this week.

“Lat injuries are tricky,” Stearns said. “And so we want to gather as much information as possible so that we, in conjunction with A.J., can make the most educated decision.”

Asked about his lat on Tuesday afternoon, Minter said he was still trying to learn more from the multiple doctors reviewing his injury.

“I have no idea, honestly,” Minter said. “I’m still waiting.”

While rest and rehab would give Minter a shot at returning this season, surgery could theoretically offer him a better long-term outcome.

In either case, Minter is set to miss significant time for the second consecutive season. Last year with the Braves, Minter sat out the final month and a half of the regular season, plus the playoffs, while recovering from surgery to repair a labrum tear in his left hip. The Mets took him along slowly this spring and even into April, until the lat strain occurred.

“Here we are facing an injury with a guy we even tried to protect, big-time,” Mendoza said. “We tried to give him proper rest, and he still went down.”

Before suffering his injury, Minter had been in excellent form, with a 1.64 ERA and one of the game’s best strikeout rates (31.8%) through 13 appearances. From a wider lens, Minter has been one of baseball’s top left-handed relievers since 2017, producing a 3.28 ERA over eight seasons with the Braves before joining the Mets on a two-year, $22 million contract. That deal includes an opt-out after this season, which Minter’s injury makes him far less likely to exercise.

In Minter’s absence, the Mets will rely more heavily on Danny Young, the only other left-hander in their bullpen. Unlike Minter, who has been excellent throughout his career against both right- and left-handed hitters, Young has historically been much more of a specialist.

The Mets on Tuesday also signed veteran Brooks Raley, who’s nearly 12 months removed from Tommy John surgery and could become an option later this season. Raley is set to begin facing hitters in the “next couple weeks,” according to Mendoza.

The organization has an additional pair of veteran lefty relievers in Triple-A Syracuse in Anthony Gose, who’s off to a strong start, and Génesis Cabrera, who’s off to a poor one. Stearns also figures to acquire additional depth over the course of the summer.

None of the Mets’ in-house options, however, boast Minter’s type of resume. New York will feel his absence regardless of whether he misses the rest of this season, or merely most of it.

“It’s a big blow, I’m not going to lie,” Mendoza said. “But guys will step up. Guys will continue to get opportunities, and we’ve got to keep going. It sucks for him, especially going down this early. But again, guys will get opportunities.”