Grant Dayton rejoins Braves, A.J. Minter’s season ends

A.J. Minter was born Alex Jordan Minter on Sept. 2, 1993 in Tyler, Texas. Tyler, Texas is the home of college football and NFL superstar Earl Campbell. The Braves drafted Minter in the second round of the 2015 draft (75th overall). Minter played college baseball at Texas A&M. Minter made his major league debut Aug. 23, 2017 against Seattle. He pitched one inning and allowed no hits or walks, and he struck out two. In the 2017 season, Minter made 16 appearances. He struck out at least one batter in 14 of t

The Braves reactivated left-hander Grant Dayton from the injured list Thursday – he fractured his right great toe playing catch and missed 56 games – and placed southpaw A.J. Minter on the 60-day IL, ending his season.

Dayton pitched in 10 games for the Braves, allowing three runs (two earned) and striking out 11 before being placed on the IL on July 11. He made seven appearances in Triple-A across his rehab stint, allowing six runs.

The 31-year-old takes Minter’s place as the third lefty in the bullpen. Dayton likely won’t be a factor in the Braves’ postseason plans.

Minter, meanwhile, was shut down with left shoulder inflammation, ending a disappointing season. He had a 7.06 ERA with a 35:23 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Once considered the team’s co-closer, Minter was demoted to Triple-A in May and never became a consistent piece of what eventually developed into a solid Braves bullpen.