On Thursday, the Yankees will get to see something they haven’t seen much of the past two seasons: a healthy Frankie Montas pitching in the Bronx.
Montas, now with the Reds, is scheduled to take the mound as the starter at Yankee Stadium on Thursday after a tough 18-month season with the Yankees.
“A lot of people know what I can do when I’m healthy,” Montas said at the stadium on Tuesday.
Montas battled shoulder injuries for most of his time with the Yankees.
Still, the Yankees expressed interest in retaining the right-hander when he became a free agent last offseason and then signed with the Reds.
“Obviously, it was considered,” Montas said of staying with the Yankees, “but it didn’t work out. That’s the business side of baseball.”
Cincinnati gave the 31-year-old a one-year, $14 million contract.
Now, nearly two years after he was expected to jump-start the Yankees’ starting rotation following a trade with Oakland, Montas will take the mound in an opposing team’s uniform.
“I can’t wait to see the guys I played with,” Montas said. “I have such fond memories of them.”
The Yankees acquired Montas and Lou Trivino from the Athletics at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for J.P. Sears, Ken Wardychuk and two minor leaguers, but his performance with the Yankees was disappointing due to a lingering shoulder injury.
He pitched in just nine games, posting a 2-3 record with a 6.15 ERA and 34 strikeouts.
Montas battled shoulder inflammation in 2022 and then underwent surgery to repair his labrum before the 2023 season, which caused him to miss nearly the entire year.
He finally returned in time to face the Royals on Sept. 30, 2023, pitching 1 1/3 innings in relief.
“They gave me the opportunity to come back for one game and show I’m healthy and can still contribute to the game,” Montas said.
After joining the Reds, Montas said having a “healthy offseason” helped him bounce back.
Montas has pitched 72¹/₃ innings, striking out 58 batters and posting a 4.23 ERA.
The Reds were six games under .500 as of Tuesday and Montas is likely to become a free agent at the end of the season, so he could be on the move again.
“I try not to think about it,” Montas said of the trade deadline, “I just take it one day at a time and try to get better.”
And he’s giving teams a reason to take notice again.
“Every time I step on the mound I feel better,” Montas said. “My arm feels better, I’m pitching better, and it’s only going to get better from here.”
