Mets Send Frankie Montas to the Bullpen
The New York Mets have made the decision to move right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas to the bullpen, following a performance below expectations. Montas, 32 years old, signed a two-year, $34 million contract in December. He suffered a strain in his right dorsal during spring training and has not been able to regain his best form since returning to action. In six rehab appearances, Montas recorded an ERA of 12.05. In eight games with the Mets, including seven starts, his ERA was 6.38, with a 3-2 record. The pitcher hasn’t pitched more than 5 2/3 innings for the Mets, who, with the exception of David Peterson, haven’t had a starter pitch more than six innings since June 7. During that period, the team has a record of 22-31. The Mets, who were coming off of losing seven consecutive games before the start of the series against the Atlanta Braves, are six games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, leaders of the National League East Division. In his last outing, on Saturday against Milwaukee, Montas pitched three innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on 72 pitches. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza commented that the decision was made seeking greater consistency from the pitcher. Montas has not pitched regularly since his rookie season with the Oakland Athletics in 2017.Mendoza also indicated that it has not yet been decided who will take Montas’ place in the rotation for Saturday’s game against Seattle. The Mets currently do not have a long reliever in the bullpen, as the injured Paul Blackburn is scheduled for another rehab appearance in the minor leagues on Wednesday. This could lead to New York calling up one of the Triple-A Syracuse prospects: Nolan McLean or Brandon Sproat. McLean last pitched on Sunday. The 24-year-old right-hander, selected in the third round of the 2023 draft, has an 8-5 record with a 2.45 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 113 2/3 innings in 21 games, including 18 starts, this year between Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton. Sproat, also a 24-year-old right-hander and a second-round pick in 2023, last pitched on Thursday. His record is 7-5 with an ERA of 4.10 and 86 strikeouts in 101 innings in 22 starts for Syracuse. McLean has thrown at least six innings on 10 occasions, while Sproat has done so in five appearances. “They are in the conversation, we just haven’t decided who will be chosen,” Mendoza said. “We’ll see how it goes. But whoever comes up here, if it’s one of the prospects, the plan is to give them a good opportunity.”“We need to see consistency, and he’ll be the first to say it,” Mendoza said. “It’s been a battle for him, health-wise. And then, after he came back, we saw flashes in a couple of outings, but then it’s been a battle. And he understands where we are in the season and that’s why we made the decision.”
Carlos Mendoza
