ATLANTA — Frankie Montas may not have posted the very best numbers throughout his minor league rehab stint, however with accidents to 2 starters and now lengthy reliever Max Kranick, the Mets want the right-hander now greater than ever. Regardless of some mechanical points throughout his minor league task, the Mets plan to insert him into the rotation through the subsequent homestand.
The crew has not determined when he’ll make his 2026 debut but, however it can possible be towards the Atlanta Braves at Citi Subject subsequent week.
“Look, you know, we need starters here,” supervisor Carlos Mendoza stated Thursday at Truist Park. “We signed him to be a starter for this team and we want to give him a chance.”
Montas strained his lat throughout spring coaching, so given the timing of the damage, the Mets have equated his rehab begins to spring coaching begins, which might typically be rocky as pitchers try and construct up their pitch counts and work on particular conditions, reminiscent of throwing from the stretch or windup, and holding runners on base.
Outcomes aren’t measured in hits and runs allowed in these video games till the tip of spring coaching. However Montas has given up a couple of too many runs to disregard, posting a 13.19 ERA over seven begins between Excessive-A and Triple-A (21 earned runs over 14 1/3 innings). He gave up eight house runs, hit two batters and walked six for a 2.23 WHIP.
Wednesday night time, he went via the order as soon as with out giving up a run, however then gave up a three-run homer within the fifth inning. He went 5 innings, permitting 5 earned runs on seven hits, strolling one and putting out two, throwing 80 pitches.
“I’m not going to lie, he got hit,” Mendoza stated. “He got hit around, but look, we’ve seen it before where guys struggle in spring training and they get hit around, then once you put them on a big league mound under the lights, and you game plan and make adjustments, they flip the switch.”
The Mets may use Montas for a couple of innings to begin subsequent week, then piggyback him with a protracted man like right-hander Justin Hagenman, who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday to begin Friday in Philadelphia, has been used to eat bulk innings as soon as already this season.
“It’s not like we want to run him for 90 pitches right away,” Mendoza stated. “We’ll wait until he makes a start, we’ll watch him closely and we’ll be smart about it. So I’ll have to talk to the whole group and [decide] some type of a pitch count.”
Hagenman is the tentative starter for Friday’s collection opener in Philadelphia. He’s with the Mets and lively for Thursday’s collection finale towards the Atlanta Braves and can be utilized if wanted, however the Mets are hoping they gained’t have to make use of him. In the event that they did, they’d should get one other pitcher from Syracuse to Philadelphia on Friday.
Hagenman is 0-2 with a 6.21 ERA in 10 video games (six begins) with Triple-A Syracuse, however allowed just one earned run and struck out 4 in 3 1/3 innings in his one Main League look this season.
The 32-year-old Montas was signed to a two-year, $34 million contract in December, with a participant choice for 2026. A former Yankees starter who spent most of his tenure within the Bronx coping with a shoulder damage, the Mets had been intrigued by what he was in a position to do the second half of 2024 with the Milwaukee Brewers, when he went 3-3 with a 4.55 ERA in 11 begins.
Very similar to with Luis Severino and Sean Manaea final 12 months, and Griffin Canning this 12 months, the Mets thought Montas could be an excellent match for his or her pitching program. Although the Mets don’t just like the time period “reclamation project,” the membership’s pitching infrastructure, led by pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, has proven a capability to assist flip veteran arms into frontline starters.
They’re assured they will obtain that with Montas.
“He’s had success before at this level, so hopefully that’s the case here,” Mendoza stated. “This is a guy that pretty much treated this rehab process of spring training and got hit around. But again, we believe in the player, and we want to give him a chance.”
