Frankie Montas is going to undergo an MRI after feeling some discomfort in his right shoulder during yesterday’s game. Montas told the New York Post’s Jon Heyman and other reporters that he is “feeling optimistic about” the injury and “I don’t think it’s anything crazy,” yet naturally any type of shoulder issue is a potential problem, especially this late in the season. Montas also missed time with shoulder soreness back in July when he was still a member of the Athletics, as he went 18 days (including the All-Star break) between starts while resting up.
An injury would only continue what has been a difficult beginning to Montas’ tenure in the Bronx. The Yankees acquired Montas in one of the most notable pre-deadline trades, yet the right-hander has posted a 6.35 ERA over eight starts and 39 2/3 innings in the pinstripes. Even if the MRI reveals nothing severe, the Yankees could opt to skip Montas for a turn in the rotation, or perhaps even place him on the 15-day injured list in order to get him fully recovered and perhaps on track in general heading into the postseason.
More from around the AL East…
- In better injury news for the Yankees, Anthony Rizzo is tentatively slated to return to the lineup on Sunday, The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner tweets. Rizzo hasn’t played since August 31 due to a epidural he received to try and alleviate nagging back pain, and Rizzo also had to deal with migraine headaches as a side effect of that epidural. With only a .200/.282/.371 slash line over his last 78 plate appearances before going on the 10-day injured list, it was clear Rizzo’s back was hampering his play, as the veteran has otherwise been one of New York’s top hitters all season. A healthy and productive Rizzo would be a huge boost to the Yankees in their push for a World Series title.
- Alejandro Kirk has missed the Blue Jays’ last four games due to hip tightness, but interim manager John Schneider told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi) that Kirk did some running and other baseball activities today. It is possible Kirk could return to action on Sunday, when Alek Manoah is the scheduled starter — Kirk has been behind the plate for every pitch Manoah has thrown this season. This brief absence could also serve as something of a reset for Kirk, whose big first half earned him an All-Star nod, but the catcher has a modest .261/.352/.338 slash line over 182 PA since the All-Star break.
- Initial x-rays were negative on Ryan Mountcastle’s left elbow after the Orioles first baseman was hit by a Jose Berrios pitch in the second inning of today’s game. Mountcastle was removed in the bottom half of the frame with what the team described as an elbow contusion. While Mountcastle’s .243/.295/.429 numbers over 542 PA represents a dropoff (especially in slugging percentage) from his 2021 production, his 103 wRC+ is still above the league average, and he has hit 22 homers this season.
- The Red Sox are facing a 40-man roster crunch this winter, and The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier takes a look at some of the names (some a lot more certain than others) to be added to the roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft. For some of these players on the borderline, the remaining two-plus weeks of the regular season will serve as a chance to catch the eye of Red Sox brass.
You just have to wonder if this is a real injury or a fake injury to get the struggling montas out of the rotation and save face for everybody. The Yankees are known to do that. Although how much face it saves I don’t know, Cashman again trades for an injured player. There’s a reason why you get players at a discount Cashman.
I’m not so sure he got Montas at a discount either….
You are right about that Clipper.
Perhaps Cashman begins a negotiation by saying “What’s the lowest you’ll let him go for?”
I think you just answered your own question when you said “Cashman again trades for an injured player.” We know he was injured, we know he seemed to be rushed back, now he’s underperforming. I don’t think we have any reason to believe he isn’t fully healthy given the initial injury occurred just two and a half months ago.
Montas has had a shoulder issue most of the season. Montgomery for Bader looks far worse for the Yankees right now
A discount? Cashman gave them Sears, Waldichuk, Medina and second baseman Cooper Bowman, seriously depleting the arms on the farm. I’d say he got taken to the cleaners for an injured, ineffective starter who’s making the Sonny Gray acquisition look like a stroke of genius by comparison. In Sonny’s first 11 starts with the Yankees he pitched to a 3.72 ERA. This trade is a predictable disaster.
I agree with you pink. I could’ve expressed that clearer, but what I meant was really that it would’ve likely cost Cashman more for the better pitcher that we all wanted Castillo, Which is why he did not go for it.
Gotcha, DR. I’d have been very happy if he’d traded for Rodon, too, but before he ever pulled the trigger on Montas I commented here on the drop in velocity in his last outing with the A’s. He lost 2-3 MPH on his fastball as the game progressed.
Like you said above, this could be a phantom injury to get him out of the rotation. Who knows?
Or he could’ve, ya know, just signed Rodon… ugh, Cashman.
@DR Yankees really should’ve just went all in at the trade deadline and put all their chips on the table. When it’s July and you’re winning at a historic pace, you need to do everything you can to keep it up as much as possible. The Mike Ehrmantraut quote “I chose a half measure when I should have gone all the way” essentially summarizes the Yankees’ deadline. At least if you fail, you can say you tried as much as possible. If you succeed, flags fly forever.
Mlb1225: That couldn’t have been written any better. It’s exactly right – go for it all, be dominating, & do everything you can to guarantee the World Series, inasmuch as possible.
I think teams who are competiting overvalue their prospects way too much. Like I’m not saying you should trade every prospect because the bust rate is high, but when you go into the ASG break with a 70% winning percentage, you need to pull all stops because this is arguably the best chance you’ve had to make an extremely deep playoff run in the past decade, at least. Failure is an option when you can say you’ve done everything possible and exausted every resouce to it’s fullest extent.
Yes
I agree wholeheartedly with that clipper. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the Cashman or Steinbrenner way. Half hearted measures seem to be their MO. And let’s not forget that once you get into the postseason which is their goal it’s a crapshoot so anything can happen ,so you don’t need the best team. You just need a team good enough to get there, and with the expanded playoffs which cashman must love, it ensures that many teams will get there even mediocre ones.
mlb12253 hours ago
@DR Yankees really should’ve just went all in at the trade deadline and put all their chips on the table.
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The all-in move at the trade deadline would’ve been Volpe, Peraza, Domminguez & Medina for Soto.
Is that what you had in mind, because that alternative doesn’t look so hot either.
Go all in Joe, yes. But use good judgment about it. That might be a contradiction in terms though for cashman. The Dodgers do it every year, no matter how good they are they’re always looking to improve. And not half measures either.
Yankees Stadium is a far better hitters park than Petco Park is so Soto in the Yankees lineup swinging for the short porch might have worked out better than he has for the Padres so far.
To me, the all-in move would have been Luis Castillo. Yankees could have matched the Mariners’ offer at least.
DR2020
Go all in Joe, yes. But use good judgment about it.
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But now you’re qualifying the “all-in” by saying “use good judgement”. The all-in move was surely to replace Gallo with Soto. If you think that was too expensive, then you have to use the same logic with Castillo.
He didn’t even get Montas at a discount either
Bet there wishing they kept Montgomery and traded for Castillo. Montas isn’t hitting on much. I’d take Montgomery over him
Probably an injury, but also, as someone else pointed out at the time of the trade, Montas has generally fared poorly outside of Oakland, with a career 4.51.
Lord Mouncastle is always okay
This trade was not good from the go. Montas was coming off shoulder discomfort and a DL stint and Oakland had him on a pitch limit which was around 3 innings when the Yanks traded for him. Too many red flags and to deal what they gave up, there top left handed prospect starter amongst the prospects? That left handed should be in the Yankees rotation right now and would be pitching better no doubt than Montas has. Two years in a row Cashman makes head scratching trades gutting the farm. I know allot of Yankee fans want to trade everyone and everything because they are bored but this is what the results turn out when trades are forced. I hope Montas works out but I didn’t like this deal.
I think most of us wanted castillo. And for several years.
Cashman included. Did he panic here at the trade deadline? I think so. Mariners beat him to Castillo. Wasn’t gonna miss on Montas.
Jeff: That’s a good observation from an outsider. He did, and he did in several past seasons as well. It’s kind of his MO – see how the team is doing at halftime, and if he needs to make desperation moves to keep them “competitive” he will do it, ie, Joey Gallo & co.
The Yankees needs haven’t changed for the past two offseasons yet he hasn’t adequately addressed them. This year, he knew just how bad Hicks was, and we desperately needed an OFer.
To your point, re: Montas? I agree wholeheartedly. He was outbid for Castillo & wasn’t coming away empty-handed. Most fans knew we needed at least one or two SP FAs in the offseason to set this team up for a good postseason run. He didn’t do anything other than Rizzo. Same thing last year, and the year before, and the year before, and with other positions too.
Clipper: FOMO strategery as a MO for a baseball GM. Oof.
and he did in several past seasons as well.
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I’m not sure it was panic as much as a lack of planning last year. He went into the season with virtually no LH hitting, and a shaky situation at 1st. To his credit, he did add two lefty bats at the deadline, but that seemed like a lot more expensive than it would’ve been in the pre-season.
Cashman seems to have the mentality that it’s better to spend less for the lesser player than to pay a higher price for the better one. And what happens? Those “cheaper” deals end up being worse overpays because he gets back underperforming players in return.
That is correct pink. and what happens, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy in which Cashman uses these failures as an excuse not to spend more money, and go for longer-term with players. And I guess Steinbrenner not being a baseball man falls for it. When in reality the opposite is true. Although in general I am not in favor of these blank check, long term deals which rarely work out, but if you want to keep up with the competition you get the better player at least for part of that term you have to do it.
Cashman (and Preller) are like the posters here…….
Whoever gets the name / veteran player wins the trade……the next day.
Within a few weeks it doesn’t look so good, and 5-6 weeks later everyone can see it.
Getting rid of Monty just keeps looking dumber and dumber.
Yeah, it’s true, Joe. Honestly, hindsight is always 20/20, and the results obviously determine the trade’s true value, which is a bit unfair.
On the other hand, many people surmised that several of these trades (or non-trades) would be detrimental to the team. I think Cashman deserves a long leash. He has a lot of years of success. But, Cashman and Hal both stated since ‘17/‘18 that they were starting the year with a championship roster. If that’s true, then by all accounts Cashman has failed for at least five seasons.
I’ve been in Cashman’s corner even when it put me at odds with my fellow Yankees fans but the Monty deal is infuriating. Although I do think Kim Ng hosed Cashman by backing out of a deal for a pitcher at the last minute of the deadline, it’s still on Cashman for pulling the trigger before the Miami deal was done.
Agreed….both the Monty deal and the Kim Ng non-Miami deal (although Lopez was no real steal) have had major issues forward that Cashman will have to answer for……Stanton going term, Hicks on a 7 year deal, no real #2 behind Cole, a new questionable center fielder who’s been hurt robbing his speed which is his calling card…..and a continual record of exiting the playoffs way to early…….
Just yes joe!
The real issue isn’t the deal for Montas, it was the deal for Montgomery. Trading an established LH starter for an injured, light hitting outfielder was destined to come back to haunt you.
They’re both real issues. It’s not either/or. Cashman effed up royally — again.
I have watched all but 1 of Montas starts since he went to the Yankees. I never thought he was showing an injury issue. What I saw was a loss of command. He always struggles early in his starts and was homer prone but would settle in. That didn’t happen after the trade. He was consistently inconsistent. He was over 90 pitches in 5 straight starts. He was just not finishing batters as he had been. That first inning was brutal last night and the Mitchell at bat was the proof of it. Had him 0-2 and did strike him out but it was an 11 pitch at bat
So have all Yankee fans and so far very, very unimpressed with his stuff and definitely looks like just another .500 pitcher who can’t effectively pitch especially in high pressure games……looks like another strike out for Cashman and we all are wondering who in the Yankees scouting department was “high” on this guy enough to make the trade they did……they should be fired immediately!
That’s a really good point as well, Rocky. How are all these top-notch stat nerds working for the Yankees striking out on these acquisitions? And how are they not held to account for these glaring mishaps (or, perhaps they are and we just don’t ever hear about it)?
The totality of moves by Cashman since last year’s trading deadline has been awful. There’s been some bad luck and unexpected underperformance, but more so bad judgments and a penchant for overpaying. Montas is a good example, but certainly not the only one. Time (in the offseason) for the team to move on.
If the Cardinals get to the WS this year their ownership will pay to put a statue of Cashman in the concourse around the ballpark.
First Giovanny Gallegos, than Jordan Montgomery. Where would that team be without him?
With BoSox roster crunch, I wonder if they will DFA Hosmer. They have no money sunk into him, but he’s not good and in decline. However, with his proclivity to hit grounders to second, maybe a bit more of them will go through next year when the shift is banned. I am intrigued to find out how he will do next year.
I think Hosmer stays around until Casas shows he can hit big league pitching. So, at least until start of 2023 season.
Stanton’s already showing an inability to hit the fastball and they’ve got him — or maybe I should say he’s got them — for five more years. Ninja.
He’s a mess. And DJ is returning next week, supposedly. So, how is it that DJ’s toe needed all offseason to heal, according to LeBooner, and an IL stint “wouldn’t help?” Yet, he’s put on the 10-day, or whatever it is now, and returning?
Plus, I almost think I’d rather have a one-eyed, concussion-hurt Marwin in the lineup rather than Hicks. I’m sick and tired of watching Hicks’ swings to nowhere (if he swings at all) and then look puzzled as if it was some alien invasion that caused the strikeout.
and an IL stint “wouldn’t help?” Yet, he’s put on the 10-day,
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I posted that on the day they IL’d him. If rest isn’t going to help, then why rest him? That made -0- sense.
DJ’s contract is another mistake in the series of them. He’ll be 38 in July of the last year of his contract. This year he exceeded my expectations for his fielding, which has been very good. But how long will the bat be productive?
Cashman thinks he is a genius by extending the length of the contract so he can pay the player less money per year to keep it under the luxury tax basically. He’s basically looking at it like well I’m really paying him for four years, so the last two years are free, so I don’t care if he stinks.
And that would be fine if that’s the way he approached it When the last couple years if the contract comes,but then the last two years of the contract he still looks at it as $15 million on the books, so we can’t get another free agent.
Hahaha Clip. I get your point, although I think Gonzalez is almost equally useless. I would rather see one of the kids.
FWIW soxprospects dot com disagrees with Speier’s premise, saying they aren’t really in worse shape on roster space than the next team. Spots will be in short supply all around. That impacts borderline cases.
Of course, for where the franchise is at, it’s a good article premise for this time of the year.
Pitching for the Brewers today is Jason Alexander. The Yankee batters had better be ready for him to throw the exact opposite of what they think he’s going to throw.
Jomboy did a statistical breakdown of how Yankees batters hit against different pitches and their batting against offspeed pitching, especially with RISP, has been horrible.
Plus, I don’t know why anyone would risk throwing Stanton an offspeed pitch right now, as he clearly cannot hit a FB. He made 97 look like 105 with his swings. He needs to go back into rehabbing his injury, or whatever, to work out his timing. He’s useless as he is. The time to get his timing down is *not during a division scrap*.
Also, if I hear, “Hicks has struggled recently,” or, “Hicks has struggled a bit this year,” again… it’s nauseating how they make it sound like this isn’t typical for Hicks, who has not been good for a long time. He’s just been regressing to this point over the years, but this isn’t some aberration.
Agreed Clipper. Hicks has been a waste if roster spot, yet cashman puts him in lineup every day. Obviously he knows that he’s not very good, which is the reason he acquired Harrison Bader. One can only hope that Peter quickly returns from injury, and George finally becomes a bench warmer.
Alejandro Kirk could stand to lose 40 lb.
We could stand to lose you…
Dump Stanton before the playoffs–bad move.; he has helped Judge toward 61..
The Sox should release JD to clear a 40 spot. Someone in contention may pick one or both to solidify a playoff spot- Tampa??
Hal and Trashman idolize Billy Beane, but they’re not smart enough to realize that Billy plays them like a cheap toy drum..
Montas is the Yankees 2022 version of Sonny Gray
Cashman trades for a pitcher fresh off the IL with shoulder issues and a fleet-footed CF in a walking boot. Now that’s some 4D chess!
Quite an astute GM, No wonder he had his job for well over 20 years.