Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, former Braves reliever A.J. Minter is set to undergo season-ending surgery next Monday to repair a torn lat muscle.

Losing A.J. Minter in free agency was tough for the Braves, and the bullpen has clearly felt his absence. The fact that he signed with the division rival Mets only made it harder to swallow — especially given how well he started the season.

In 13 appearances for New York, Minter posted a stellar 1.64 ERA and struck out batters at an impressive rate of 11.5 per nine innings. He looked dominant, and his hip issues from 2024 seemed like a thing of the past, which makes the news of his latest injury all the more disheartening.

The Mets may be the Braves’ fiercest rival — and currently hold a strong lead in the division — so there’s never much goodwill toward them. Still, Minter earned respect as a Brave. For over five years, he was manager Brian Snitker’s most dependable setup man and played a key role in Atlanta’s 2021 World Series title. Even after leaving for the Mets, he continued to speak highly of the Braves organization.

Injuries to pitchers are among the most painful parts of baseball, and this marks Minter’s second consecutive season-ending setback. Hopefully, he’ll be able to bounce back again, but it’s a cruel turn for a player who gave so much to the Braves.