Montgomery focusing on getting to 'relax' after 1st spring outing

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- On the positive side of the ledger, Jordan Montgomery¡¯s injured left index finger felt healthy on Saturday, but other than that there wasn¡¯t much positive to take away from his first appearance of the spring.

Montgomery lasted just one-third of an inning and allowed five runs on two hits. The Diamondbacks left-hander walked two and also hit a batter.

¡°I¡¯m healthy,¡± Montgomery said when asked for what good he would take from the outing.

Montgomery is attempting to win the final spot in the Arizona rotation with Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson (among the other candidates). He is at least one outing behind the others this spring, because he suffered a strained left index finger during his final pre-Cactus League bullpen session and had to stop his throwing for a week.

¡°Just super rushed and tense and trying to muscle everything,¡± Montgomery said of the outing. ¡°I¡¯ve just got to take a chill pill and relax.¡±

Montgomery being amped up was natural for any pitcher making his first spring appearance, but there¡¯s more to it than that for the veteran.

Signed just after the start of the regular season in 2024 after a protracted free agency, Montgomery missed Spring Training and never seemed to find his groove after a quick stint in the Minors in April.

Montgomery ended up making 21 starts before being moved to the bullpen for four appearances, finishing the year with a 6.23 ERA.

Coming off such a season, he elected to exercise his $22.5 million option for 2025 rather than test free agency. The Diamondbacks had hoped to be able to trade him during the offseason, but nothing materialized and Montgomery found himself once again in an Arizona uniform.

Montgomery reported to camp having reportedly lost 20-25 pounds and was anxious for a fresh start. That likely is why he was as amped up as he was for Saturday¡¯s appearance.

¡°Showed up feeling good, got hurt, took six days off and kind of lost some of the good feels,¡± Montgomery said. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing it a long time. I've just got to relax and trust it, and stop trying to make it happen. Just throw strikes. If I can get to glove-side fastball for a strike I can throw anything. Really just have to get out front.¡±

The outing unraveled from the start when he hit T.J. Friedl with a pitch, allowed a homer to Matt McLain and then walked Elly De La Cruz.

¡°Just trying to make it happen too quick,¡± Montgomery said. ¡°Not breaking my hands, getting out front and yanking everything. I¡¯ll get back to work tomorrow. I mean, it¡¯s the first spring game. Healthy, but I would have much rather thrown more strikes and have better results, obviously.¡±

The Diamondbacks would like to see him win the No. 5 spot given his veteran status and contract situation, but they¡¯re also expected to be contenders for a postseason berth. As they learned in each of the past two years when they snuck into the postseason by a game in 2023 and missed by a berth by one contest in ¡®24, every win matters. So, they¡¯ll need their best five starters. And Montgomery will need to show them something by the end of camp.

¡°For me, I don¡¯t try to over-evaluate any guy¡¯s first outing,¡± said bench coach Jeff Banister, who is managing this weekend while Torey Lovullo heads the split-squad in Las Vegas. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since he¡¯s been out there, first Spring Training game. Looked like he was trying to find some rhythm, looked like he was fighting himself trying to find a rhythm there. So expect it¡¯s going to be better his next time out.¡±