He is officially out for the rest of the season, as Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that the left-handed reliever will undergo surgery next Monday to repair a torn lat muscle, according to Mike Puma of The New York Post. Though Minter explored non-surgical options in recent days, surgery proved unavoidable.
Mendoza also shared news about designated hitter , who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. According to Abbey Mastracco of The New York Daily News, Winker suffered a Grade 2 strain, which is moderately severe, and is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
This marks the second straight injury-shortened season for Minter, who underwent hip surgery last August during his final year with the Braves. He entered free agency over the winter and signed a notable two-year, $22 million deal with the Mets, which includes a player opt-out after the first season. The Mets were betting on Minter regaining his form as a top-tier setup man after a healthy offseason.
That bet initially looked promising. Minter delivered impressive results in his first 13 appearances, giving up just two runs across 11 innings with 15 strikeouts and seven holds. He was Mendoza’s most dependable lefty reliever, allowing only six hits and five walks while protecting every lead he inherited.
Throughout his career, Minter has been a highly effective bullpen arm, posting a 3.28 ERA and striking out over 29% of batters during eight seasons with Atlanta. From 2021 to 2023, he consistently logged over 50 innings annually before injuries disrupted his last two campaigns.
The Mets had been leaning on Minter and Danny Young as their only left-handed bullpen options. With Young also lost for the year due to Tommy John surgery, New York brought in Génesis Cabrera — a hard-throwing but inconsistent lefty — to fill the void. Cabrera isn’t an ideal top left-handed reliever for a contending team, so the Mets are expected to seek additional help in that area.
Minter, who is earning $11 million this season, will almost certainly exercise his player option in hopes of a healthier 2026 in New York. He’s already on the 60-day IL, a move made when Cabrera was added to the roster last week.
As for Winker, he could also be shifted to the 60-day IL depending on his recovery. He strained his oblique during a rare outfield appearance in Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. Winker had been the Mets’ designated hitter versus right-handed pitchers. That role may now fall to Brett Baty, who was recalled to replace him. Baty had struggled earlier in the season, hitting just .204/.246/.352 in 58 plate appearances before being demoted. However, he was showing signs of improvement at the plate before Jeff McNeil’s return limited his playing time.
