Frankie Montas Wasn’t Fully Healthy When Yankees Traded for him
The Yankees traded four prospects, including Ken Waldichuk, to the Oakland Athletics for damaged goods at last season’s trade deadline.
As starting pitcher Frankie Montas revealed fo reporters on Wednesday, he wasn’t fully healthy when the Yankees traded for him last summer.
"I was like eh-eh. I wasn't fully 100 percent. I was trying to pitch through it," Montas said about his health at the time of the trade (per the New York Post). "Of course I got traded to a new team, I wanted to show what I can do. Things didn't go the way I was expecting."
Before being sent to New York, Montas, who was with the Oakland Athletics, left one outing early and missed two starts due to shoulder inflammation in the weeks leading up to the deadline.
After being acquired by the Yankees, Montas pitched to a 6.38 ERA in eight starts. He missed time in September with a shoulder issue and made one relief appearance in the postseason.
Now, he will miss the majority, if not all, of the 2023 season after undergoing shoulder surgery in February.
Montas underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder last month, which comes along with a 12-week rehab. If all goes well, the righty will begin throwing in mid-May, which could possibly allow him to return from the IL in July or August.
Montas was one of the best pitchers available on the trading block last season. The Yankees knew he was dealing with a shoulder issue when they made the deal. They took a gamble on him and it came back to bite them.
Despite undergoing surgery, Montas says he has “no doubt” that he will be able to pitch for the Yankees this season. Time will tell, but for now, he has a long road to recovery ahead of him.
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