Montas (lat strain) shut down by Mets for 6-8 weeks
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComoPORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- This winter, the Mets constructed their pitching staff upon a foundation of depth. Rather than target the best starters available, the Mets acquired multiple lesser options, hoping to guard against attrition and injury. They entered camp feeling comfortable about the interchangeability of their top eight starters.
That depth is being tested immediately. Manager Carlos Mendoza announced Monday that right-hander Frankie Montas has a high-grade right lat strain and will not throw for 6-8 weeks. Montas will require a full, Spring Training-style buildup after that, meaning a best-case scenario would have him back in mid-May. More realistically, he is likely to remain sidelined until late May or June.
¡°We¡¯ve been talking about it the whole offseason -- we know that in order for us to get through 162-plus, we¡¯re going to need eight to 10 guys,¡± Mendoza said. ¡°Here we are. It¡¯s nothing new for us. Guys will step up. Guys will get opportunities. We feel good with the options that we have.¡±
Montas, 31, arrived in camp healthy but experienced discomfort following his first bullpen session last week. Team trainers recommended an MRI, which revealed the high-grade strain.
It¡¯s an inauspicious start to a two-year, $34 million contract for Montas, whose deal includes an opt-out after this season. His lengthy injury history includes IL stints in each of the last three seasons, most notably due to a shoulder surgery that sidelined him for almost the entire 2023 campaign. Montas was mostly healthy last year, however, outside of a brief absence for a forearm bruise.
For now, Montas¡¯ injury changes little in terms of the Mets¡¯ pitching strategy. They still intend to use a six-man rotation more often than not, viewing it as a way to keep Kodai Senga healthy. Senga, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes and David Peterson will occupy four of those rotation spots, leaving Paul Blackburn, Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill to compete for the remaining two.
Of note, only Megill has an accessible Minor League option, which could hurt his chances. But there is potentially room for all three on the roster if the team decides to piggyback starters early in the season. The Mets have three off-days over the first 15 days of the season, allowing them to massage the rotation however they see fit.
¡°We¡¯ve got options,¡± Mendoza said. ¡°We¡¯ve got depth. It¡¯s still too early. Here we are dealing with an injury to one of our starters. We¡¯ll continue to have these conversations.¡±
First and foremost, the Mets must complete Spring Training without further injuries. For all their depth, they lack certainty in the rotation. Senga made just one start last year due to injury. Peterson missed the first two months and spent October mostly pitching in relief. Holmes is converting from the bullpen to the rotation, Blackburn missed the end of last year due to a spinal leak in his back, Canning produced a 5.19 ERA and was non-tendered by the Angels, and Megill has been inconsistent throughout his career.
Under pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, the Mets have a strong recent history of success stories, including Manaea and Luis Severino last season. But that¡¯s no guarantee of future success for a team that will need strong pitching to compete in a stacked National League East.