At this point, the Braves injury list has become absurd. Coming into today, they were already dealing with four starters who have experienced arm problems (Soroka, Gohara, Foltynewicz, and Gausman). All of their statuses are in question for Opening Day.
To begin Friday, the Braves scratched Dansby Swanson because he felt wrist soreness during batting practice – extremely troubling news considering he missed the NLDS because of the same wrist ailment. And now, the Braves potential closer, A.J. Minter, has left Friday’s spring training game after facing a single batter.
A.J. Minter has exited today's game after facing just one batter. It was not clear what might have been ailing him.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 1, 2019
Minter – a player the Braves desperately cannot afford to lose – joins the injured Braves with shoulder tightness. They were already one of the worst bullpens in the league over 2018 and are expecting Minter to contribute in a late-inning role once again.