ATLANTA — Braves reliever Joe Jiménez will miss much and possibly all of the 2025 season after having surgery to repair cartilage damage in his left knee. He’s expected to be sidelined eight to 12 months, the team said on Monday.
It’s a big blow for the Braves, who deployed Jiménez and Pierce Johnson as their top right-handed setup men last season and also had them as backup closers, roles they were expected to hold again next season.
But an injury that bothered Jiménez at times last season turned out to be far worse than expected when he went in to be evaluated after the wild-card series loss to San Diego. Jiménez had surgery Oct. 29, the team announced Monday.
Jiménez had a 2.62 ERA in 69 appearances this season with 82 strikeouts and 23 walks in 68 2/3 innings. He gave up no earned runs in 15 of his final 16 appearances while recording 26 strikeouts and six walks in 15 2/3 innings.
His situation helps explain why the Braves were suddenly so determined to gain payroll flexibility, and Monday declined an $8 million option on veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud for next season. They might still bring him back as a free agent, presumably at a lesser salary, but for now the Braves needed to clear up payroll.
They gained about $26 million in flexibility over the past week by trading Jorge Soler and his $13 million salary ($26 million over 2025-26), reworking the contracts of reliever Aaron Bummer and starter Reynaldo López, and declining the d’Arnaud option.
Some of that money could be used to add a top reliever through free agency or trade. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos often moves early if he has a need that he prioritizes and wants to make sure gets done.
Jiménez will be 30 in January and is signed through 2026, with a $9 million salary in each of the next two seasons.
The Braves also declined a $7 million option on reliever Luke Jackson on Monday and instead paid him a $2 million buyout, but that move had been expected from the time he came along with Soler from the San Francisco Giants in a trade-deadline deal that was only done to add Soler’s bat to the injury-riddled lineup.
The Braves already lost top lefty setup man, A.J. Minter, to hip surgery late this season. He’s a free agent and could be re-signed, but it’s uncertain if he’ll be ready for the beginning of the season even if he’s brought back.
Required reading
- Braves’ needs and potential moves as free agency begins in earnest
- Braves decline option on Travis d’Arnaud: Are they creating flexibility for a big addition?
(Photo of Joe Jiménez: Dale Zanine / Imagn Images)
