Port St. Lucy – If AJ Minter can take away something positive from the left hip problem that ultimately led to surgery last summer, he simply learned how to pitch beyond the overwhelming batsman.
It was midway through the 2023 season that Manter realized something had to change.
The left-handed savior was struggling for the Braves, with his fastball slow.
Minter was now dealing with back pain at the time, along with the Mets, when the back discomfort he had endured for years was a precursor to realising that the normal wear and tears were beyond his normal wear and tears.
“I've started to realize that I don't worry about speed,” said the 31-year-old miner. “I'm going to be worried about going ahead and mixing the pitch. I just have to find a way to get it out differently, rather than relying solely on my own. I'd have a good second half in 23 and that took over in '24.”
Manter pitched a scoreless inning against the Nationals on Saturday. After careful rehabilitation from surgery, he made his second appearance towards potential preparations for the opening day.
After averaging 96.6 mph on a four-seam fastball during the 2022 season, Minter fell to 95.8 mph the following year. Last year, Chavez averaged 94.5 mph on the pitch.
He pitched for 2.62 ERA in 39 appearances before undergoing surgery.
“Chavez is a big leader for me and with the guy who goes out there and throws 88-89 [mph] And we'll find a way to kick the guy out,” Minter said. “I've worked a bit with him, tunneled and worked on your mistakes and just learned how to become a pitcher.”
Minter throws two versions of the cutter and the fastball to give the batter a different look. He is taking advantage of a changeup where his opponent hit just .120 against last season.
“You can't be scared if speed may not be what you want,” Minter said. “You still have to attack the zone and be aggressive. You need to be careful about the mix of places.”
