Mets' A.J. Minter Suffers Setback in Rehab

A.J. Minter's return to the New York Mets will be bit on hold for a little bit longer.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reported on Wednesday that Minter suffered a setback in his rehab with left hip discomfort and will now be reevaluated in a few days.

A.J. Minter had a setback in his rehab with left hip discomfort. He will be reevaluated in a few days.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) May 6, 2026

This was certainly not the news the Mets wanted to hear, given that the left-hander was on the verge of making his much-anticipated return to the bullpen.

Minter's last rehab outing came on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse. The veteran left-hander tossed a scoreless inning, which was his second rehab outing in three days. In four rehab appearances for Syracuse, Minter owns a 2.25 ERA with four strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.78 across 7.2 innings pitched.

A.J. Minter comes out of the bullpen for Triple-A Syracuse and throws a scoreless third inning pic.twitter.com/dxs6y6WDCJ
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) May 3, 2026

After that latest strong effort, it seemed like Minter was another step closer to returning to the big leagues. But with his latest setback, the Mets will now have to wait a bit longer to make his 2026 debut.

New York initially signed the 32-year-old to a two-year, $22 million contract in January 2025, and the move at the time seemed like a bit of a risk. Minter missed most of the 2024 season with the Atlanta Braves due to a hip injury, which ultimately led to Minter undergoing season-ending surgery.

Minter got off to a strong start with his new team last season, posting a 1.64 ERA in 13 appearances with 14 punchouts over 11 innings of work. However, the lefty exited his outing against the Washington Nationals on April 26 due to what was originally called tricep soreness. He was later transferred to the 60-day injured list due to a left lat strain that required surgery, which cut his first season in New York short.

Manager Carlos Mendoza didn't seem too worried when he was asked about Minter's setback when he met with reporters before New York's matchup against the Colorado Rockies.

"We're not too concerned," Mendoza said.

Carlos Mendoza says A.J. Minter is dealing with left hip discomfort and he's been pulled off his rehab

Mendoza says the Mets are "not concerned" but this will restart Minter's rehab clock pic.twitter.com/cg2AVKybTB
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 6, 2026

Entering Wednesday's game against the Rockies, the Mets have just two lefties in their bullpen. Those southpaws are veteran Brooks Raley, who's pitching in his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024, and Sean Manaea, who the Mets have used as a long reliever since the start of the season.

Raley has been very effective for New York, logging a 1.47 ERA in 14 appearances, while Manaea has struggled to a 6.54 ERA in just seven games.

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