The Mets felt it right away when A.J. Minter went down last year.
The left-hander was brought in to help bridge the gap to closer Edwin Diaz in the late innings, and he did just that before suffering his season-ending lat injury in late May.
Minter allowed just two runs over his 13 appearances at the time.
But New York was forced to maneuver the rest of the way without him, and it ended up being a significant blow to a bullpen that was leaned on heavily during the second-half collapse.
After months of rehabbing, the 32-year-old southpaw is finally closing in on his return.
Minter is expected to miss at least the first month of the season as he continues progressing his way back, but the Mets have been encouraged by what they’ve seen from him to this point.
Saturday marked his second bullpen session since reporting for spring training.
“He’s another guy we have to take care of,” Carlos Mendoza said. “But he looks really good -- watching him in that first bullpen, then the second one today, the way the ball is coming out, it’s with ease, it’s effortless, it’s a good sign.
“I keep telling him to take it easy; we have a long way to go. But he’s a big part of this team, a big part of our bullpen, and we’re counting on him as well.”
Getting Minter back in the mix alongside fellow lefty Brooks Raley will be a huge boost for this group.