ATLANTA — A turbulent season for Frankie Montas has come to a untimely finish. The appropriate-hander has a “significant” ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow, and will likely be out for the remainder of the season. Tommy John or an inside brace process is probably going, which might additionally sideline him for 2026 as nicely.
The Mets positioned him on the 15-day injured listing and known as up right-hander Huascar Brazobán from Triple-A Syracuse.
“It’s hard for him, he was pretty devastated yesterday when he found out,” supervisor Carlos Mendoza stated Saturday at Truist Park. “Rightfully so, it’s been a hard year for him since spring training when he went down. He put a lot of time into rehabbing, came back, didn’t have the results he wanted or we wanted.”
Montas signed a two-year contract for $34 million assured in December, with a participant possibility for 2026 so as to add depth to the rotation, however an early-spring lat pressure had him out of motion till late June. When he returned, he wasn’t capable of give the Mets what they wanted, going 3-2 with a 6.68 ERA over seven begins earlier than being moved to the bullpen. In 9 appearances this season, he posted a 6.28 ERA with a 5.31 FIP.
Shifting to a protracted aid function wasn’t excellent for a profession starter. A 32-year-old in his tenth Main League season, Montas nonetheless sees himself as a starter, however he badly wished to contribute, and understood that he wasn’t serving to the group as a starter. He made solely two appearances out of the bullpen this month, his first aid outings since 2023 with the Yankees. Previous to that, he hadn’t pitched out of the bullpen since 2018.
Nonetheless, he was desperate to adapt to the function.
The harm could possibly be the explanation his stuff wasn’t enjoying because it did final yr in Cincinnati and Milwaukee. The rate was nonetheless there, however his pitches weren’t as efficient. When he threw stuff within the zone, as a rule, it was hit.
“Maybe having an injury like that affected him with his secondary pitches,” Mendoza stated. “He didn’t feel anything. It was just more like soreness the past couple of times.”
Montas complained of soreness in his decrease bicep after his final begin Aug. 3. He warmed up within the bullpen in Washington on Thursday however the Mets didn’t use him. Friday in Atlanta, he complained of soreness in the identical spot, and it remained after he performed catch. It was then that the Mets despatched him for imaging.
Initially, there was little concern due to the situation of the harm, so the outcomes had been considerably stunning. Montas will search extra opinions to substantiate a prognosis and decide the very best plan of action. The participant possibility provides him safety, however for the Mets, it solely makes the contract look worse.
Montas was a reclamation mission of kinds, very like Sean Manaea and Luis Severino had been final season, and Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning had been this season. President of baseball operations David Stearns has stuffed out the rotation this fashion two winters in a row, discovering pitchers who’re undervalued in the marketplace and hoping to use these undervalued belongings.
Montas beforehand had shoulder surgical procedure with the Yankees, limiting him to just one look in 2023.
Regardless of the bloated ERA, Montas felt he nonetheless had extra to present this season, and was grateful the Mets believed in him sufficient to let him pitch in any capability.
“It means a lot — I mean it means that they believe in my talent,” Montas stated. “They imagine within the man that they signed. I don’t see stuff like that as a failure, I see that as a approach to come out and get higher, engaged on no matter I’ve set to work on and proving that to the fellows who’re right here.
“I still have a lot of fight on me.”
STAYING ON TURN
There aren’t any plans to insert a sixth starter for the present 16-game stretch, however Mendoza cautioned that these plans are fluid. Proper-hander Tylor Megill (elbow sprain) will make at the very least yet another rehab begin earlier than the Mets activate him. That retains the present 5 on common relaxation the following flip by the rotation.
Megill threw 5.0 innings for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday night time, giving up 5 hits with no runs, strolling two and putting out 4. He threw 65 pitches.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Jeff McNeil (sore proper shoulder) returned to the lineup Saturday, batting fifth and enjoying second base towards the Atlanta Braves. The Mets are nonetheless making an attempt to schedule off-days for him to ease the shoulder soreness.
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo (neck soreness) remained out for the second straight sport, however he’s trending in the proper course, capable of run and hit within the cages. Catcher Luis Torrens (bruised hand) remains to be sore, however capable of come off the bench if wanted.
Initially Revealed: August 23, 2025 at 6:41 PM EDT
