Braves right-hander Joe Jimenez underwent a left knee surgery last week to fix cartilage damage, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Justin Toscano reports (X link). The procedure comes with a recovery period of 8-12 months, so Jimenez is now in danger of missing the entire 2025 season.
There hadn’t been any indication that Jimenez was dealing with knee problems, as the reliever hasn’t been on the injured list for any reason since the very end of the 2022 campaign, when Jimenez was still pitching with the Tigers. In a follow-up post on X, Toscano notes that Jimenez hurt his knee during the season but pitched through the discomfort, and the extent of the injury wasn’t known until the surgery took place.
Atlanta acquired Jimenez for a two-prospect package (which included Justyn-Henry Malloy) in December 2022, and the righty has been nothing short of stellar in his two seasons in a Braves uniform. Jimenez had a 3.04 ERA over 56 1/3 innings in 2023, and then did even better in delivering a 2.62 ERA in 68 2/3 frames this past season. His strikeout rates have been elite across both seasons, but Jimenez drastically improved his hard-contact numbers from 2023 to 2024 — he jumped into the 91st percentile of all pitchers in both barrel rate and hard-hit ball rate, after not even making the tenth percentile in either category in 2023.
It was almost exactly one year ago that the Braves signed Jimenez to a three-year, $26MM contract extension just shortly before Jimenez was about to hit the free agent market. Jimenez earned $8MM in 2024 and is slated for $9MM in both 2025 and 2026, though that salary could end up being largely a sunk cost for the 2025 campaign depending on how much time he misses.
A return after the All-Star break would represent the best-case scenario for Jimenez, though the four-month range of his timeline creates a lot of gray area. In theory, Jimenez could miss most of the regular season and still be ready to participate in a playoff run, though the more time Jimenez misses, the trickier decision the Braves may face in deciding whether or not to activate a potentially rusty pitcher for critical postseason games.
The Braves had one of the league’s best bullpens in 2024, but A.J. Minter, Jesse Chavez, and Luke Jackson are all free agents, and now Jimenez will miss at least half of the season. Griffin Canning has already been brought into the rotation mix and, spending on any other starters acquired, Atlanta could dip into its young starting depth to reinforce the pen during the course of the 2025 season. Odds are that president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos was already planning to add a reliever or two to the mix anyway this winter, but Jimenez’s injury now might make the Braves a little more aggressive in shopping in this market.
MR. Q
One of the better reliever for Atlanta this season. 2026 would be his contract year too, hopefully he can regain his form and get that bag.
zacharydmanprin
That’s some serious cartilage to be out that long…what happened?
Niekro floater
Exactly, some kinda catastrophic knee injury to take 12months rehab especially w/all the medical advantages they have now to get u back sooner. See it in football when dude tears multiple ligaments that’s a year to heal n get strong.
Hamilton Miller
Why are so many Braves players being injured and out for a long time? Our MED team is not doing the job.
RunDMC
Did they forget that 3rd layer of bubble wrap again?
stymeedone
Med teams fix injuries. They don’t prevent them.
EM41
This is a big loss for the Braves. The only silver lining is finding out now, so the Braves can acquire another reliever (or two)
Lindor's Bodyguard
Exhibit A: why not to guarantee Bummer the second year in the recent contract restructure.
Yankee Clipper
8-12 months is ACL recovery… cartilage in the knee is usually 8-12 weeks.
getrealgone2
Yeah, I was gonna say this article doesn’t make sense.
cash3w
Same here. I’ve had a torn meniscus on both knees and was back to sprinting within 6-weeks after surgery.
bravesfan
That’s a crazy time table for a cartilage recovery. This article doesn’t make sense…
ckc12537
I originally read “Jose Altuve’
Thank God for my bad vision I guess
NashvilleJeff
“Oh no Joe. Say it ain’t so.”
This one belongs to the Reds
Knee surgery – brings back painful memories.
Diabetic Rockstar
The rate the dude has gained weight in last 3 years, the repetitive force of pushing off and landing on the mound, yeah it was destiny
Diabetic Rockstar
And before people call me a hater and call me names…the guy came up with Detroit as a 215 pound righty. He weighed 275-280 before the season started last yr (277 according to BR), though it could have easily been 290+. Even at 6-3 that’s a lot of weight to carry and add for a pitcher. Not everyone can be Bartolo Colon.
NashvilleJeff
Jimenez is listed as weighing 220 on the MLB Braves page. Definitely looks like he’s above that, but 290+——nah. I’ll take the under on 250.
cash3w
I have the same thought here. He’s not pushing 290+. I recall CC Sabathia approaching 300 lbs, and he isn’t CC.
cash3w
If 2024 is considered the year of the dragon, I would like to consider 2024 as the year of the crutch for the Braves. Let’s get to a 2025 healthy season!
braveshomer
Well it’s not starting off very good so far lol
JRamHOF
American League All Star Joe Jimenez