Mets reliever A.J. Minter pleased with 'successful' spring debut
Left-hander reliever A.J. Minter figures to be a huge piece of the Mets' bullpen this season, and the veteran took a big step in his recovery from hip surgery on Wednesday when he made his Grapefruit League debut against the St Louis Cardinals.
Minter, the former Atlanta Braves southpaw who signed a two-year deal with the Mets this offseason, pitched a perfect fifth inning on Wednesday in Jupiter, Fla., retiring the side on 10 pitches while striking out Alec Burleson on a cutter in the dirt.
Minter's fastball sat around 93 mph, and while he said he expects that number to tick up as he ramps up, he told reporters that he was pleased overall with his first outing.
Advertisement
'First time facing hitters in a game since [August 11], and, first one is always the hardest, but yeah, I was just excited to get out there and I think we definitely checked the box today and it was definitely successful,' Minter said.
'You want to see the swings and misses,' he added later. 'As a reliever, you want to come in and get strikeouts and you know, I was fortunate. I was happy with that I did get a strikeout today and some weak contact, so that just tells me that, you know, the ball's coming out the way I want.'
Minter said on Wednesday that the plan now is for him to have two days off before pitching in game action again on Saturday.
The veteran southpaw said that he's already thrown two or three live BP sessions this spring, and ideally he'd like to have around 10 combined appearances (games and live BP sessions) to feel comfortable heading into the season.
Advertisement
'The hardest thing is just being patient and not pushing things, and we I think we've done a really good job of having a plan together and, saying no, telling me no when I need to be told no,' Minter said, 'and the training staff's been great, the coaching staff's been great.
'But yes, I was excited to get back out there and it was definitely a long time coming. It was a lot of hard work this offseason, and yeah, it's all starting to pay off.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Mets being Dodgers' peers should force David Stearns to alter trade deadline formula
So much has changed for the Mets in the past calendar year. Access the Mets beat like never before Don't miss Mike Puma's text messages from Queens and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. Sign up Now On June 8 of last year, the Mets were 27-36, fourth in the NL East and, even in a forgiving National League in which just five teams were above .500 at that time, Fangraphs gave them just an 11.3 percent chance to make the playoffs. Advertisement From then through their series against the Dodgers, the Mets had played the equivalent of a 162-game season and had gone 101-61, which was five games better than the second-best record — which belonged to the Tigers, another incredible before-and-after picture. Perhaps nothing exemplifies the transformation for the Mets in this time better than how toe-to-toe competitive they were in the recently completed home-and-home with the Dodgers. By this time last year, the Mets also were done with their regular season games against Los Angeles and had gone 2-4, including getting swept three games at Citi Field by a combined 18-5 in late May.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mets at Rockies: How to watch on SNY on June 7, 2025
The Mets continue a three-game series with the Rockies in Colorado on Saturday at 9:40 p.m. on SNY. Here's what to know about the game and how to watch... Mets Notes Clay Holmes looks to continue his hot stretch as he's gone 4-2 over his last seven starts with a 3.02 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts Despite a broken toe, Francisco Lindor delivered a clutch ninth-inning double on Friday night to boost his slash line to .400/.483/.920 over his last seven games Pete Alonso has a 1.000 slugging percentage over six games in June with four home runs and two doubles for 14 RBI The Mets (40-24) own the major's best team ERA at 2.84 and are 0.5 games up on the Chicago Cubs (39-24) for the best record in the NL METS ROCKIES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - What channel is SNY? Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings. How can I stream the game? The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued. Advertisement In order to stream games in SNY's regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. Link your provider credentials with a new or existing account. Log in using your credentials to watch Mets games on SNY. Select the SNY Mets game you wish to view from the Multimedia Center. How can I watch the game on the MLB App? MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below. Advertisement Download the free MLB App. Open 'MLB' and tap on 'Subscriber Login' for Apple Devices or 'Sign in with for Android Devices. Type in your credentials and tap 'Log In.' To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available. For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Three Players Diamondbacks Could Trade if Struggles Continue
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Several offseason additions had the Arizona Diamondbacks in position to compete atop not only the NL West, but the National League as a whole. Injuries and poor performances have derailed that a bit, and the Diamondbacks are currently in fourth place in their division. Because of the talent possessed by the Giants, Padres and Dodgers, it is unlikely Arizona has a path to the postseason. If the team continues to struggle, here are three players who could be shipped away when the trade deadline rolls around. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 5: Eugenio Suárez #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts following the 11-10 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on June 5, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 5: Eugenio Suárez #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts following the 11-10 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on June 5, 2025 in Atlanta, Suárez, 3B Suárez is the biggest power threat in the Arizona lineup, and several teams will be looking for right-handed pop at the deadline. He has 292 career home runs, including 16 this season, as well as a game with four home runs in May. He is in the final season of a seven-year, $60 million contract that he signed prior to the 2019 season when he was still a member of the Cincinnati Reds. His contract situation will make him a prime trade target for teams such as the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers. Zac Gallen, SP Like Suárez, Gallen is on a one-year deal, making him a possible trade target if Arizona decides to make him available. The one thing that would make him unattractive are his struggles this season. Just two seasons removed from a Cy Young Award, Gallen is 4-7 with a 5.13 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 13 starts and 73 2/3 innings pitched. If he is able to turn things around prior to the trade deadline, he will become an extremely attractive target for teams such as the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. Josh Naylor, 1B The theme of this trade list is becoming evident, as Naylor is also under contract with Arizona through the end of this season. Teams are always looking for left-handed bats at the trade deadline, and Naylor's .289 average with seven home runs, 39 RBIs and .793 OPS could make him highly coveted. Teams such as the Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners are struggling with production at first base and could benefit from adding Naylor. More MLB: Orioles Reunite With Veteran Reliever In Trade With Braves
