Frankie

Montas

Montas, who will still get his $17 million salary next year, will have to rehab from Tommy John surgery on his own, unless he wants to sign a minor league deal with some team now. He’s probably not going to be ready to pitch in games again until 2027.

Montas underwent Tommy John surgery in September, so it’s highly unlikely he was going to pitch in the majors at any point of 2026. This gets him off the 40-man, and the Mets will release him once he clears waivers. He’ll still get his $17 million salary in 2026.

This was a given. Montas is likely out for the entire 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery at the end of August. He posted a 6.28 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, and a 32/14 K/BB ratio over 38 2/3 innings for the Mets. He will now spend 2026 with the team, trying to get healthy to land another free agent contract in 2027.

The expectation is that Montas will require the full Tommy John procedure, though that has yet to be confirmed. The 32-year-old hurler finishes his first year with the Mets with a miserable 6.28 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and a 32/14 K/BB ratio over 38 2/3 innings of work. He has a $17 million player option for the 2026 season that he’ll certainly exercise, though there’s no way that he’s going to make it back to pitch before the 2026 season concludes.

This officially ends Montas’s regular season. It sounds like he might require a procedure to address in ulnar collateral ligament, which would sideline him into 2026. Obviously, he won’t be exercising the opt out in his two-year, $34 million contract this winter.

There isn’t an official diagnosis from the Mets at this juncture, but UCL injuries typically lead to extended absences and often require reconstructive surgery. Montas was jettisoned from New York’s rotation mix earlier this month in favor of top prospect Nolan McLean.

The 32-year-old right-hander holds an uninspiring 6.38 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and a 32/12 K/BB ratio over 36 2/3 innings with the Mets this season. While he wouldn’t name Montas’ replacement in the rotation, the Mets have several arms on the injured list that are close to working their way back. Expect one of them to take the ball on Saturday against the Mariners.

The Mets opted to use Reed Garrett as an opener on Saturday, but that didn’t help Montas much. He allowed two hits, a walk, and two runs in the second inning, his first in the game. He threw 44 of his 72 pitches for strikes with a 29 percent whiff rate and 26 percent CSW, but needing 72 pitches to get through three innings is never a good sign. The Mets hit on a lot of their free-agent pitcher signings last year, but they have not been able to duplicate that this season. Montas is not a recommended play next week against the Mariners.

Frankie Montas, who has been lit up for 12 runs over just 8 1/3 innings in his last two starts, will make a bulk relief appearance in this one. It’s probably a smart idea for the Mets considering the Brewers are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now.

Mendoza added that the Mets are weighing the use of an opener ahead of Montas, who’s been lit up for 12 runs over just 8 1/3 innings in his last two starts. The 32-year-old righty is still on track to take the ball Saturday against the Brewers, but his recent struggles could open the door for a top pitching prospect like Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean or Brandon Sproat to get a look later this season.