The Yankees will get a look Thursday at something they didn’t see much of the previous two seasons: a healthy Frankie Montas pitching in The Bronx.
Montas, now with the Reds, will start at Yankee Stadium on Thursday after a rough season-and-a-half with the Yankees.
“A lot of people know what I can do when I am healthy,” Montas said Tuesday at the Stadium.
Montas battled shoulder issues for most of his time with the Yankees.
Still, the Yankees were interested in keeping the right-hander when he became a free agent last offseason before he signed with the Reds.
“Definitely, there was consideration,” Montas said about staying with the Yankees. “But things didn’t work out. This is the business side of baseball.”
Cincinnati gave the 31-year-old a one-year, $14 million contract.
And now, nearly two years after Montas was expected to provide a boost to the Yankees’ rotation in a trade from Oakland, he will take the mound in an opposing uniform.
“I can’t wait to see guys I’ve played with,” Montas said. “I have really good memories with those guys.”
The Yankees acquired Montas and Lou Trivino from the Athletics at the trade deadline in 2022 in exchange for JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk and a pair of minor leaguers, but lingering shoulder issues made his time with the Yankees underwhelming.
He pitched just nine games, going 2-3 with an ERA of 6.15 and 34 strikeouts.
After battling shoulder inflammation in 2022, Montas underwent labrum cleanup surgery prior to the 2023 season, which caused him to miss almost the entire year.
He finally returned in time to pitch one game against the Royals on Sept. 30, 2023, when he pitched 1 ¹/₃ innings in relief.
“They gave me an opportunity to come back for one game and show that I am healthy, showing that I can still give to this game,” Montas said.
After heading to the Reds, Montas said he appreciated “having a healthy offseason,” which helped him get back on his feet.
So far, Montas has thrown 72 ¹/₃ innings, striking out 58 and posting an ERA of 4.23.
With the Reds entering Tuesday six games under .500, Montas could be on the move again because he’ll likely be a free agent following the season.
“I try not to think about stuff like that,’’ Montas said of the trade deadline. “I just try to take it day by day and try to improve.”
And he’s giving teams reason to pay attention again.
“Every time I step on the mound, I feel better,” Montas said. “My arm feels better, my pitches are moving better, so it’s just improving from here.”
