Braves reliever Joe Jimenez to miss 8-12 months after left knee surgery

Just days into the 2024 MLB offseason, the Atlanta Braves have lost one of their top relievers.

Setup reliever Joe Jimenez underwent surgery to repair cartilage in his left knee on Oct. 29 and will require eight to 12 months to recover, reports The Athletic’s David O’Brien.

Jimenez, 30, was one of the Braves’ best relievers this past season, compiling a 2.62 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings. He was also the team’s backup closer when Raisel Iglesias (1.95 ERA, 68 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings) wasn’t available and saved seven games.

Atlanta acquired Jimenez from the Detroit Tigers in December 2022 and subsequently signed him to a three-year, $26 million extension after he posted a 3.04 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings in 2023. He has $18 million remaining on the final two years of that deal, but now might not even be available to pitch in 2025.

The injury to Jimenez creates an offseason need for a reliever, which might explain why Atlanta traded Jorge Soler and the remaining $26 million on his contract to the Los Angeles Angels last week. The Braves also declined the $8 million option for catcher Travis d’Arnaud on Monday.

With Pierce Johnson (3.67 ERA, 67 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings) as the bullpen’s other top right-hander behind Iglesias, the Braves could look to Dylan Lee (2.11, 76 Ks, 59 2/3 innings), Grant Holmes (3.56, 70 Ks, 68 1/3 innings) and Daysbel Hernández (2.50, 26 Ks, 18 innings) as internal options to take Jimenez’s place.

If the Braves try to replace Jimenez through free agency, some of the top right-handed relievers available include:

Former closers Aroldis Chapman (3.79, 98 Ks in 61 2/3 innings) and Kenley Jansen (3.29, 62 Ks in 54 2/3 innings) could also be options for general manager Alex Anthopoulos to consider.