A.J.

Minter

Gómez retired only one of the five batters he faced before being replaced by Kody Funderburk, who saved Gómez’s ERA by inducing a double play. It left with the Twins with a one-run lead entering the ninth, but that was blown by A.J. Minter in what turned into an 11-inning loss. Gómez was back in action tonight following one day off after pitching three days in a row, and the Twins are simply asking for too much from him at the moment. He’s been a great surprise for the team this year, but he’s still an average reliever at best. One imagines that Jeff Hoffman, who pitched a scoreless seventh tonight, will get a chance to take over as the Twins’ closer next year. It should have happened after he was acquired last month.

A day after Yoendrys Gómez took the loss against the Guardians, Minter got the call to close out Saturday’s contest with a one-run lead. The left-hander faced two left-handed hitters to start the frame, suggesting this was matchup-based. It worked. He tossed a clean inning, striking out two batters for his first save.

The Twins are currently one game out of the final AL Wild Card spot, so they will make some minor moves to try to get this team into the playoffs. That may be tougher with Byron Buxton (hip) on the injured list, but Minter will be a strong addition to a bullpen that has been solid in July. The left-hander has a 2.35 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 20/2 K/BB ratio over 23 innings in 23 appearances with the Mets this season. Billy Amick was the Twins’ 21st-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and has 23 HR and 72 RBI in 86 games at Double-A this season, while Bruin Agbayani, who is the son of former Mets fan favorite Benny Agbayani, was the Twins’ 29th-ranked prospect and has played in only 10 games this season.

Let the fire sale begin. Will Sammon of The Athletic adds that the Mets will receive minor leaguers Bruin Agbayani and Billy Amick back in return for Minter. The 32-year-old southpaw has been terrific for the Mets this season, posting a 2.35 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 20/2 K/BB ratio over 23 innings in 23 appearances. His arrival will go a long way towards bolstering the Twins’ bullpen.

Both left-handers can become free agents at the end of the season, and the Mets aren’t close to the playoffs. We may not see a huge sell-off from the Mets while they look to compete again in 2027, but pending free agents should definitely be on the radar.

He figures to vie with Brooks Raley for the team’s main lefty late-game role. Minter had a 1.64 ERA before getting hurt in 2025 and should at least have a chance at reclaiming the gig ahead of Raley. Assuming the Mets bother winning some games here or there, he’ll have some value in leagues with holds.

Minter has been unavailable for all of 2026 as he recovers from lat surgery. The 32-year-old may be eased into his role to begin his time with the Mets, bt when healthy, he’s been one of the better left-handed relievers in baseball. In addition to getting Minter back, it’s also expected that Jared Young will also come off the injured list before Tuesday’s tilt with the Reds.

This is just a procedural move. Minter suffered a setback at the beginning of the month, but he is still expected to restart his rehab assignment soon. This move doesn’t change his timeline, which could be sometime in June.

Minter, who is trying to come back from lat surgery, recently had a setback with his surgically repaired hip, causing him to be pulled off his rehab assignment last week. He might be back in the Mets bullpen by the end of the month.

Minter will be slowed down temporarily after experiencing hip discomfort. It’s not considered a massive setback, but it will further delay his return to New York’s bullpen, which likely would’ve happened soon. He’s at least a couple weeks from making it back to the Mets’ high-leverage mix.