The Braves reactivated A.J. Minter from the injured list Thursday, adding much-needed assistance to the late innings.
Minter is past the shoulder soreness that interfered with his spring. He threw in four minor league games in Florida and was available the day of his return. Manager Brian Snitker said he Minter would pitch in the ninth inning if the Braves held a lead.
Minter didn’t pitch any back-to-backs during his rehab, but he said the ball came out well, and his velocity was where it needed to be.
“For me to only miss a week, I’m pretty happy with it,” Minter said. “You want to listen to your body and make sure you are healthy. You don’t want to rush it. Me last year, me two years ago, I would’ve rushed things. I would’ve tried to push through it. I’m a competitor. I don’t want to be off the field. But I know this year, I miss a week, so what? We have a long year, an important year, and I want to be part of it.”
Minter and Arodys Vizcaino will split closer duties, depending on the matchups. Minter, 25, pitched in 65 games last season, posting a 3.23 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 61-1/3 innings. He registered 15 saves in his first full season.
“We missed him a lot,” Snitker said. “It’s good to have him back and get him in the mix.”
Rookie Bryse Wilson was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Minter on the active roster.
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