Breaking Down the Yankees' Decision to Option Jordan Montgomery

NEW YORK — Roster decisions were imminent as Yankees' Summer Camp came to a close on Tuesday, but this news was unexpected.

At the top of New York's announcement, revealing a slew of roster moves, was the following:

Optioned LHP Jordan Montgomery to the Alternate Training Site.

The announcement that the left-hander had been left off the Yankees' Opening Day roster wasn't a typo. After an impressive Summer Camp performance, Montgomery will not be on the 30-man roster for Thursday's opener in the nation's capital.

It may have raised some eyebrows, but allow manager Aaron Boone to explain the reasoning behind the decision.

"Just giving us some roster flexibility," Boone said on Wednesday. "He'll go in game six, essentially. So he's actually with us, he's gonna throw on Friday on the off day here, which would be his fifth day."

There's plenty of factors that play a role in this decision. Mapping out which starters will toe the rubber over the first two weeks of the season is easier said than done.

Montgomery last pitched on Sunday in an exhibition game against the Mets at Yankee Stadium, tossing five scoreless innings. Therefore, and staying on his five-day plan, Montgomery is due to pitch again on Friday when the Yankees have a scheduled off day following the club's opener.

Jonathan Loaisiga is coming in from the #Yankees bullpen.

Jordan Montgomery's night may be over but man was he dealing in his final outing before Opening Day.

Monty's final line: 5 IP, 6 K, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 R
— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) July 20, 2020

Since the southpaw won't be pitching in a game on Friday, and James Paxton is lined up for Game 2 on Saturday, Montgomery would be taking up a roster spot until his next turn in the rotation. Typically that wouldn't be of concern, but with Masahiro Tanaka still working his way back from the line drive off his head, and a bullpen day scheduled for the third game of the season, an additional arm in the 'pen to start the season is crucial.

The plan for Montgomery after Friday is as follows.

"We're keeping him on his five-day routine so instead of bringing them back, like on an eight day rest at some point, you just figure what the off day he could throw on the fifth day and then slot in there. Then the 10th day, his next fifth day, would be game six," Boone explained.

Got all of that?

In a shortened season, not to mention considering the unprecedented circumstances leading up to this point in the summer, the Yankees' coaching staff is doing everything in their power to keep all starters on a five-day routine.

The same goes for ace Gerrit Cole — who has one added day of rest under his belt prior to Thursday night's duel with Max Scherzer — as the right-hander is scheduled to start for the second time on Tuesday on the road against the Phillies.

Barring any injuries, here's a look at which starters the Yankees will turn to for the first eight games of the season (and through the end of July):

Date	Yankees SP	Opponent
July 23	Gerrit Cole	@ Nationals (Opening Day)
July 25	James Paxton	@ Nationals
July 26	Opener / Bullpen Day	@ Nationals
July 27	J.A. Happ	@ Phillies
July 28	Gerrit Cole	@ Phillies
July 29	Jordan Montgomery	vs. Phillies (home opener)
July 30	James Paxton	vs. Phillies
July 31	Masahiro Tanaka	vs. Red Sox

As for the opener in Game 3, Boone has yet to make any final decision as to which hurler will get the ball to start the game. Chad Green was used as an opener frequently this past season, but Boone singled out two other right-handers as well.

"It could be [Mike] King, it could be [Jonathan Loaisiga], it could be Green, it could be a number of guys," Boone said. "Little bit depending on what happens the first couple of games. We'll see where we're at. For right now, we plan on using a bunch of guys that day."

King was awarded a roster spot after an impressive performance at Summer Camp. Veteran left-hander Luis Avilán and right-hander David Hale also earned big-league roster spots in addition to third-string catcher Chris Iannetta.

The Yankees made the following roster moves today:
· Optioned LHP Jordan Montgomery to the Alternate Training Site.
· Signed LHP Luis Avilán, RHP David Hale and C Chris Iannetta to ML contracts and selected them to the 40-man roster.
· Placed RHP Dan Otero on the restricted list.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 21, 2020

For the cynical Yankees fans out there that may think there's more behind the decision to keep Montgomery off the roster, check this out. Just a few days ago, Boone was raving about Montgomery and had this to say about the left-hander following his outing on Sunday.

"I’m really proud of Monty of where he’s at. Not only how he came in shape and ready to go in Spring Training but clearly continued to work over the break and put himself in a great spot coming in," Boone said.

That pride extends to Montgomery himself. The left-hander worked his tail off to recover from Tommy John surgery after missing much of the last two seasons. He's hopeful to return to the dominance he produced on the mound in his rookie season in 2017 — finishing sixth in the race for the American League Rookie of the Year Award while posting a 3.88 ERA over 29 starts.

"I feel like I’ve worked as hard as I could during the hiatus with everyone going home. I put myself in the best position I could," he said. "I’m proud of myself, all the work I’ve put in and I’m excited to compete with the guys."

To keep up with all of Inside The Pinstripes’ coverage, click the "follow" button at the top right-hand corner of this page.

For more from Max Goodman, follow him on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. Follow ITP on Twitter @SI_Yankees and Facebook @SIYankees