When the New York Yankees put their eye on Oakland Athletics starter Frankie Montas prior to last year’s deadline, he was a perfectly solid option who had had a scare with his shoulder, but was by all accounts healthy.
He had a 3.18 ERA in Oakland and the Yankees thought they were acquiring a difference-maker for the rotation.
However, his shoulder woes returned and the right-hander finished the season with a 6.35 ERA with a Yankees uniform and 4.05 overall.
Everybody seemed to believe that the pitcher was going to be healthy, locked, and loaded for the start of the 2023 campaign.
Unfortunately, Montas suffered a setback with his shoulder and will miss time…again.
“Frankie Montas will miss the first month of the season with shoulder inflammation, per @nypostsports,” Talkin’ Yanks tweeted.
Frankie Montas will miss the first month of the season with shoulder inflammation, per @nypostsports pic.twitter.com/nBnhvklgpg
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) January 14, 2023
The report of Montas’ injury surfaced on Saturday, and he had agreed to a $7.5 million contract a day before to avoid arbitration.
The pitcher is roughly two months behind in his offseason throwing program, which will require him to ramp up into the regular season.
The Yankees are expected to address the situation with more details at some point, but it’s obviously disappointing for Montas, the team, and fans.
Still, he is widely expected to return to the pitching staff at some point in May.
Domingo Germán and Clarke Schmidt are the two candidates to replace him in the rotation for as long as he is out.
Both are quality backend options, but none of them carry the upside of a healthy Montas.
