Montas could miss opening of season

The Yankees are planning to start the common season with out Frankie Montas within the rotation, because the right-hander continues to battle irritation in his pitching shoulder.

Montas is eight to 10 weeks behind in his offseason coaching and will miss the primary month of the common season, in line with a report by the New York Post. Montas, who turns 30 in March, agreed to a $7.5 million contract on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

“The biggest thing with Frankie is getting him right and well,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone instructed the YES Network on Thursday. “We feel like when we have that, we’ve got another frontline pitcher, but he’s probably going to be a little bit behind.”

Montas handled an analogous subject final season with the Athletics and Yankees. He was compelled to exit from a July 3 begin with Oakland and missed almost three weeks, although he pitched properly in two begins previous an Aug. 2 commerce that shipped pitchers Luis Medina, JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk and infielder Cooper Bowman from New York to the A’s in alternate for Montas and right-hander Lou Trivino.

Montas went 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA in eight regular-season begins for the Yankees, the final of which got here on Sept. 16 at Milwaukee, when the shoulder subject flared up once more. He returned to pitch one inning within the American League Championship Series in opposition to the Astros, at which period the membership mentioned they anticipated Montas to make a full restoration earlier than Spring Training.

“We haven’t had a chance to see the real deal yet from him,” normal supervisor Brian Cashman mentioned in December.

Boone had slated Montas in his possible beginning rotation behind Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Severino and Nestor Cortes. Montas’ harm might create a spring competitors between Domingo Germán and Clarke Schmidt for the No. 5 spot.

“Hopefully if everything goes well where he starts throwing in the next couple of days, we’re in January, [so] that’s a pretty long on-ramp to put him into position,” Boone mentioned. “We’re going to play it conservatively because he’s had this lingering nuisance going on for the last half of the year. We want to be smart with it, conservative with it, [and] make sure he’s in a really good spot [so] that when he does join the rotation, he’s flying.”