Montgomery (elbow) should be up in Texas soon

Montgomery threw 75 pitches over 4 1/3 innings over the weekend for Triple-A Round Rock, so this next outing should get him up over 80 pitches. The left-hander missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and hasn’t pitched in an MLB game in almost two years. He could return to the Rangers’ rotation next weekend, but he is not somebody who needs to be stashed in fantasy given his lengthy absence.

Bradford and Jordan Montgomery, whose Triple-A start was rained out tonight, are both making their way back from elbow surgery with the hopes of taking Cal Quantrill’s spot in the Texas rotation. One will probably get a chance there, with the other winding up in middle relief. Bradford is the more interesting bet at this point, but that he’s plenty experienced in middle relief might hurt his chances of getting the rotation spot.

Montgomery has allowed three runs over nine innings across three starts at the Triple-A level since July 2. The 33-year-old veteran lefty is getting close to making it back from last year’s Tommy John surgery and should be an option for Texas at some point in early August.

Montgomery allowed five hits and struck out three while not walking a single batter. He threw 26 of his 40 pitches for strikes and had a 32 percent whiff rate and 33 percent CSW. He sat 90.7 mph on his sinker, which is down a little over one mph from where we saw him in 2024 and down almost two mph from his great season in 2023. His breaking pitches are also all down in velocity, so this could simply be a veteran who is not letting it loose as he works his way back from a long absence. We should see something closer to full strength for Montgomery in his next few starts as he gets closer to a shot in the Rangers’ rotation. There’s a chance that he’s back by August.

Montgomery allowed one hit and struck out one while throwing 10 of his 13 pitches for strikes. It was the 33-year-old’s first game action since 2024, so it was just nice to see him get through a clean inning. He will need a lengthy rehab stint as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, but he could make a few starts for the Rangers at the end of the season.

It’s been a while since Montgomery was a fantasy-relevant arm, but he’s making his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery and could be an option for Texas’ rotation at some point in the second half. The 33-year-old southpaw signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract to return to the Rangers back in February. He should be ready to make his season debut by late July.

He’ll throw at least one more time off of a mound before he progresses to facing live hitters. He appears to be right on schedule and the Rangers remain hopeful that he’ll be able to return at some point around the All-Star break.

The 33-year-old southpaw is still in the process of recovering from Tommy John surgery and is targeting a return around mid-season. This was done on Sunday as a procedural move to clear a spot on the team’s 40-man roster for the addition of Dairon Blanco.

This deal was reported on Wednesday and is now official. Montgomery is targeting a return around the All-Star break as he looks to re-establish his value after a rough stretch with the Diamondbacks.

Montgomery did not throw a pitch in the majors last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery before the start of last season. He’ll likely have a chance to make some starts later in the season for Texas if his recovery goes well. Montgomery put up a bloated 6.23 ERA in 21 starts in 2024 and is not someone who needs to be on the fantasy radar at this point, though his recovery is worth following.