Mets add $22 million lefty reliever who talked smack about Yankees to roster originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The New York Mets will welcome back a left-handed reliever after a 13-month absence.
Before Tuesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, the NL East club activated A.J. Minter from the 60-day injured list. The former Atlanta Braves World Series champion underwent surgery on his left lat muscle.
“The lefty set-up man has been dearly missed in that time, and his return could boost a Mets bullpen that has lacked a full supply of late-game options,” The Athletic’s Tim Britton and Will Sammon wrote Tuesday. “That said, Minter’s velocity has been down during his two rehab stints — the first interrupted by hip discomfort — and he may have to work his way back into shape.”
Minter signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Mets before the 2025 season. New York Yankees fans may remember that he had some not-so-nice things to say about the fanbase.
“You can tell these Mets fans, these are truly baseball fans,” Minter said at his first press conference with his new club. “They get baseball, not like the other side of town.”
MORE: Yankees’ Aaron Judge on track to become first player in MLB history with five 50+ homer seasons
Harsh words from Minter, who was a key piece of Atlanta’s bullpen from 2017-23, posting a 3.28 ERA in 348.2 innings during that span.
In 2025, he made 13 appearances with the Mets before hitting the IL. The next time the Mets and Yankees will meet is in September at Yankee Stadium.
It’s been a while, but let’s see how many Yankees fans remember what Minter, 32, said about them.
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