A.J. Minters first Mets appearance checked a box in Opening Day quest

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Minter isn’t prepared to declare himself ready for the Opening Day roster, but he took a significant step in that direction on Wednesday. The lefty reliever, who has taken it slow in camp after undergoing left hip surgery last season, pitched a perfect fifth inning against the Cardinals in his Grapefruit League debut.It was Minter’s first time facing hitters in a game since Aug.

11 of last year. Overall, he threw 10 pitches (eight of which were strikes) and finished with one strikeout. “The first one is always the hardest,” Minter said on a day the Mets won 2-0 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.“We definitely checked a box today and it was definitely successful.” Minter arrived in January on a two-year contract worth $22 million as the Mets’ biggest bullpen splash of the offseason.

Minter, 31, spent the first eight seasons of his major league career with the Braves. The plan is for Minter to start pitching every third game in spring training, with an eye toward the March 27 opener in Houston.But the Mets aren’t going to rush Minter, who has estimated he might need at least five appearances in exhibition games to be ready for the season. “It’s hard to tell,” Minter said, when asked about Opening Day.

“I am going to do everything I can, but at the same time we are going to be smart about it.And if that means taking a few extra weeks, it takes a few extra weeks. “The hardest thing is just being patient and not pushing things and I think we have done a really good job of having a plan together and saying no, telling me no when I need to be told no.

The training staff has been great.The coaching staff has been great.

[Wednesday] was definitely a long time coming.It was a lot of hard work this offseason, and it’s all starting to pay off.” Minter stru...