Braves still can't escape brutal injury luck, even in the offseason

The 2024 season was one to forget for Atlanta Braves fans. Sure, the team made it to the postseason, but with the amount of injuries that they had to endure, they looked almost unrecognizable at points. Virtually every key player not named Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna missed at least some time due to injury.

It was impressive that the Braves battled as hard as they did and made the playoffs despite all they dealt with, but for many fans, they just wanted this season to end so the injury woes would be put behind them and they could compete for a World Series in 2025. Unfortunately, the injury woes appear to be carrying over into the offseason.

According to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Joe Jimenez underwent surgery to repair cartilage damage in his left knee. That injury is going to sideline him for the next 8-to-12 months, potentially ending his 2025 campaign before it even begins. If Jimenez does return next season, it'll likely be sometime in the second half of the season.

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Braves brutal injury luck carries into the offseason following unfortunate Joe Jimenez injury update

No, this isn't a player like Ronald Acuña Jr. or Spencer Strider suffering an injury, but losing Joe Jimenez is a big deal for the Braves.

The right-hander has been a crucial piece in the bullpen in his two seasons in Atlanta, and he spent this past season serving as their primary set-up man. In 69 appearances during the regular season, Jimenez posted a 2.62 ERA across 68.2 innings of work. He had 82 strikeouts compared to 23 walks, and he recorded 27 holds and three saves to go along with just three blown saves. He was one of the most reliable set-up men in the National League.

Even without Jimenez, the Braves bullpen does have some depth with Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, and Grant Holmes locked in, but with A.J. Minter and Jesse Chavez set to hit free agency, that unit isn't nearly as deep as it was this past season.

With that in mind, it wouldn't be surprising to see Alex Anthopoulos explore the free agency market and add an arm or two - even if that means bringing a guy like Minter back. Anthopoulos likely won't splurge on the big-name relievers, but given his track record, there's reason to believe he'll find strong value with whoever he does decide to bring in. Regardless, guys like Johnson and Bummer will be relied on even more as set-up men in front of Iglesias.