A.J. Minter is on the 60-Day IL, and the Mets' Bullpen Has No Easy Answer

Alright, Seattle, let's talk some baseball, even if it's not our Mariners for a hot second. Over in Queens, the New York Mets just dropped a bomb on their bullpen situation, officially moving left-hander A.J. Minter to the 60-day injured list. If you're a fan of quality relief pitching, this is a tough one to swallow. Minter, who’s been battling a left lat strain and left hip discomfort, just saw his recovery timeline get a whole lot longer, and you gotta wonder what this means for their squad in the early stages of the season.

Minter's Long Road Back Just Got Longer

This isn't Minter's first rodeo with injuries. The 32-year-old dealt with lat surgery back in 2025, and then, wouldn't you know it, that hip discomfort sidelined him right at the start of this year. Talk about a brutal stretch. He's been grinding through rehab, putting up a 3.12 ERA in nine minor league rehab outings across three different clubs. That's a lot of work, but the fact he's now on the 60-day IL tells you they aren't seeing the progress they need. Losing an arm for that kind of extended time, especially one who's been a solid contributor, means the rest of that bullpen is gonna have to step up big time. It's the kind of news that can shake up a clubhouse, no doubt.

New Arm in Town: Daniel Duarte Steps In

To try and fill the void, the Mets selected the contract of right-hander Daniel Duarte. This move came right after Joey Gerber was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday. Duarte, 29, isn't exactly a fresh face to the big leagues, with 36 career major league relief appearances under his belt. He's got a 3.99 ERA from 2022-24, splitting time with the Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins. He was 0-1 with a 2.60 ERA in 12 appearances, four of them starts, down in Syracuse, following two appearances with Mexico in this year's World Baseball Classic. For Gerber, his only major league appearance this season saw him pitch two scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers back on April 13. He got recalled on Friday, but didn't even get a chance to throw over the weekend series against the Yankees. It's a revolving door out there, and teams are always scrambling for arms, but shifting to a 60-day IL spot for Minter and bringing in Duarte... that's a big shuffle. And while the Mets are figuring out their bullpen woes, our own Mariners are out there battling, trying to make some noise. Speaking of pitching, it was a tough one for our boys in teal last night, with the San Diego Padres taking an 8-3 victory over our Mariners. Not the result we wanted, but it's a long season, folks. We know our squad, our Julio Rodriguez, our Cal Raleigh, they're gonna keep grinding. There's a lot of baseball left to play, and you can bet our guys will be ready to fight for every single win. Keep that spirit strong, Emerald City, we're with them every step of the way!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.