A.J. Minter to have surgery for hip injury

SAN FRANCISCO — A.J. Minter has established himself as one of the best relievers in Braves history. But his long-term future with the club became questionable on Wednesday, when it was revealed he’ll undergo left hip surgery next week.

“He tried to fight it the best he could,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It just didn’t work out for him. I have a lot of respect for that guy. He’s a gamer and he’s been such a big part of what we’ve done the past few years.”

With six weeks left, it seems unlikely that Minter could return before the end of the regular season. But Snitker wasn’t ready to rule out the possibility of seeing the lefty reliever on the mound again this year.

Minter is dealing with the same left hip impingement that sidelined him from May 30-July 2. He opted not to have surgery at that point, despite the fact some may have questioned whether he was making the right choice as he preps to hit the free agent market for the first time this winter.

His selfless decision wasn’t a surprise to those who have watched him serve as a key part of Atlanta’s bullpen all the way back to his late-season MLB debut in 2017.

Minter has gutted through discomfort while posting a 2.62 ERA in 34 1/3 innings (39 appearances) this year. He showed some recent decline, surrendering a hit or issuing a walk to half of the past 16 batters he has faced.

“He’s been a high-leverage, go-to guy for a long time now,” Snitker said. “That hurts. You can’t go out and find that right now.”

Minter’s 384 career relief appearances are the third-most in Braves history, trailing only Gene Garber (557) and Mark Wohlers (388).