PHOENIX — A.J. Minter and Danny Young are out for the rest of the season, while Jesse Winker is out at least 6-8 weeks. The Mets finally had nearly the entire team healthy, only to see their two left-handed relievers go down within days of one another, followed by their fan-favorite DH.
Minter was weighing the option of undergoing surgery for his lat strain and opted to have the operation. Manager Carlos Mendoza said it’s a lat surgery, which isn’t typically common unless the tendon that connects the latissimus dorsi muscle to the humerus ruptures. The Mets have not released details on the left-hander’s injury, only saying it’s a strain.
His surgery is scheduled for May 12 in Chicago.
Young has not scheduled a surgery yet, but Mendoza said Monday he had made his decision to undergo ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction.
Left-hander Genesis Cabrera is the only southpaw in the bullpen at the moment, but the Mets have right-handers who boast reverse splits or neutral splits. Max Kranick and Huascar Brazobán have been effective against lefties in the middle innings, while Reed Garrett has been called on to get left-handers out in later innings and in high-leverage innings. The Mets have also used long reliever Brandon Waddell, who is currently with Triple-A Syracuse, but has minor league options.
This is the second time in as many years Minter’s season will end prematurely with a major injury. Last year, his final with the Atlanta Braves, the veteran reliever had hip labrum surgery in August.
Minter pitched 11 innings for the Mets, posting a 1.64 ERA. He has a player option for next season.
For Young, the injury is a particularly cruel twist to his season. A journeyman reliever, Young has been with the Mets’ Major League club since last May, marking the longest big-league stint of his career.
Young had a 4.32 ERA in 8 1/3 innings this season.
Primarily used as a platoon DH this season, Winker was injured over the weekend in St. Louis, playing left field for the first time this season. He returned to New York for imaging, which revealed a Grade 2 oblique strain. The Mets called up Brett Baty to take his place on the roster.
Mendoza said his 6-8 weeks for a return to action, but obliques are sensitive enough that setbacks occur relatively often. The manager cautioned any sort of firm date for a return.
“They’re telling us it’s probably 6-8 weeks before he’s a player from us at this level,” Mendoza said Monday at Chase Field. “But again, obliques are tricky.”
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