Yankees' Frankie Montas Hopes to Return From Shoulder Injury Before End of Season
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NEW YORK — When the Yankees acquired Frankie Montas from the Athletics in a trade deadline blockbuster last month, New York shrugged off the right-hander's previous shoulder concerns.
Montas had missed time in July, dealing with inflammation in his right shoulder, something Yankees manager Aaron Boone called a "hiccup" after the six-player deal took place.
Less than two months later, Montas is headed to the injured list, dealing with the exact same injury he experienced in Oakland.
"I got a cortisone shot yesterday," Montas said shortly before he was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation on Tuesday. "Going to wait a couple days to start playing catch and go from there."
Montas had a cortisone shot in his shoulder this summer as well. Looking back, he believes he rushed that process. This time around, he wants to let the shot "work the magic" before picking up a baseball again, expecting he'll be resting for two-to-three days before playing catch. Then he'll transition to flat grounds and eventually, resume facing hitters.
Time isn't on Montas' side, though. New York has 16 games remaining on their schedule in the regular season. Even if his 15-day stint on the IL is retroactive to September 17—one day after his clunker against the Brewers—there aren't enough games left for Montas to ramp up and build in his pitch count.
Asked if he's nervous that his injury will keep him out for the rest of the season, Montas said he's not thinking about it. He's focused on these next few days, getting rid of this discomfort so that he can be a player for New York leading into the postseason.
"I still want to try to go back and help the team in the playoffs whenever I can," he explained, saying he's hopeful he can make one more start before the end of the regular season.
With Montas sidelined, right-hander Domingo Germán will step in and start on Saturday, per Boone. Righty Luis Severino is also set to come off the 60-day injured list on Wednesday, making his first start with the Yankees since July 13.
Considering Montas was acquired to be New York's No. 2 starter for the stretch run and the postseason, this injury is far from ideal. Then again, Montas was already pitching poorly since the trade. Perhaps a respite on the IL will allow the right-hander to return and pitch more effectively despite the time crunch. After all, it's all hands on deck for the playoffs with starters rarely pitching deep into games.
Montas has a 6.35 ERA since joining the Yankees, allowing 28 earned runs in eight starts (39.2 innings) with New York. The 29-year-old had a 3.18 ERA across 104.2 innings (19 starts) with Oakland before the trade.
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