CINCINNATI – Braves left-hander Mike Minor will have exploratory surgery this week on his pitching shoulder, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday.
The Braves had no comment on the situation and would neither confirm nor deny that Minor is to have surgery.
The surgery could lessen the chances that Minor will not be offered a contract for next season by the Braves, who lost an arbitration hearing against him this season when the pitcher was awarded a $5.6 million salary.
A recent MRI of his shoulder again showed no structural damage, but if damage is found during surgery it would almost certainly be season-ending.
Presumably the only way Minor might return this seaosn is if no damage is found. Even then, it could be difficult for him to come back and pitch this season, given how much time he’s missed and the rehab and re-strengthening process he’d need to go through.
Arguably the Braves’ best pitcher in 2013, Minor struggled to a career-worst 6-12 record and 4.77 ERA in 25 starts in 2014 after missing most of spring training with what was diagnosed as shoulder tendinitis, which landed him on the disabled list to begin the season and caused recurring problems all season.
MRIs taken last year, this spring, and again early this season showed no structural damage, but Minor, who has been on the disabled list all of this season, has continued to experience pain or discomfort in the shoulder each time he has ramped up his throwing program.
Minor, 27, came to spring training optimistic after a normal offseason of conditioning and throwing. But just over a week into more extensive throwing at spring training, he was scratched from his first scheduled start and ended up missing all of the Grapefruit League schedule and opening the season on the DL again.
When he went to throw off a mound one month ago in hopes of preparing for a minor league rehab assignment, the shoulder immediately started hurting and Minor was shut down.
Minor and Braves officials had said at the start of spring training they were confident he had put his injury-plagued 2014 season behind him. He was one of the four starters the Braves had set in the rotation along with Julio Teheran, Alex Wood and newcomer Shelby Miller from the Cardinals.
His shoulder first became inflamed in 2014 in the opening week of spring training when he increased his activities, after being unable to work out in January due to Dec. 31, 2013, urinary tract surgery. He had shoulder soreness periodically and was held from his last start with the Braves eliminated from the wild-card race.
It was only two seasons ago that Minor posted a 13-9 record, setting career-bests in wins, ERA (3.21), strikeouts (181) and innings (204 2/3).
