Frankie Montas was expected to boost the New York Mets’ starting rotation in 2025 when they signed him to a two-year, $34 million contract in Dec. 2024.
Frankie Montas is dealing with a high-grade lat strain and will be shut down 6-8 weeks, Carlos Mendoza said.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) February 17, 2025
According to multiple reports out of the Mets’ camp in St. Lucie, Florida on Monday, manager Carlos Mendoza said Montas is dealing with a high-grade lat strain and will miss the next 6 to 8 weeks before resuming a throwing program.
Montas, 31, is 44-46 with a 4.09 ERA in 160 career games (129 starts).
The Mets signed Montas coming off a season in which he went 7-11 with a 4.84 ERA in 30 starts — two shy of his career-high — and 150.2 innings for the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers.
Montas’ last outing, coincidentally, was against the Mets in the National League Wild Card round. He started Game 2 for the Brewers and pitched into the fourth inning of Milwaukee’s 5-3 victory.
In Feb. 2023, Montas underwent surgery on his right shoulder, a procedure that ultimately limited him to one regular season game that year. The Reds gambled on Montas’ health, signing him to a one-year, $14 million contract in Jan. 2024. The gamble paid off.
Montas made 19 starts for the Reds. Although his 4-8 record and 5.01 ERA (88 ERA+) were underwhelming, Cincinnati was able to flip Montas to Milwaukee on July 30, 2024 for Jakob Junis, Joey Weemer, and cash.
The Mets gave Montas a two-year contract worth $17 million per season with the ability to opt out of his contract after this season.