“We’re gonna wait till he gets through that one to see how he recovers from it.” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza shared an update about one of their best arms being injured. Although the Mets look to be prime contenders in the NL East with a 45-29 record, injuries have taken a toll on their roster. The highly anticipated return of a starting pitcher was once touted as a reason for celebration. However, the news about the pitcher, currently undergoing rehabilitation, is extremely concerning. Can you guess the reason?
Well, Frankie Montas, who signed a $34 million deal with the Mets, was out due to a lat strain at the start of spring training. Although the veteran right-hander has already started with the rehab assignment, so far, the outcome has been dismal. Not a sign of him making it back to the major league soon, given the way he performed. For fans, the rehab struggles are nothing short of a dark shadow looming over the Mets. They were angry enough not to hold back from lambasting David Stearns, who signed Montas.
And they aren’t wrong, either. In an X post made by SNY Mets, the struggles are clear. “The final line in Frankie Montas’ 6th rehab outing tonight: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K (80 pitches, 47 strikes).” So far, in his sixth rehab start with the Triple-A, Frankie Montas has been a series of disappointments. This one stung hardest, considering that it was deemed as his final start ahead of joining the Mets.
The final line in Frankie Montas’ 6th rehab outing tonight:
5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K (80 pitches, 47 strikes) pic.twitter.com/umdxqe9jkK
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 19, 2025
The 32-year-old pitcher started off quite gracefully. In the first three innings, he went scoreless. But, in the fourth inning, he gave away a couple of runs. The game was tied in the fifth; however, in the clutch moment, Montas failed to deliver. He was dispatched for a three-run homer by Troy Johnson.
Although he struck the final batter out, the game had gone out of their hands. In fact, giving away too many runs, seven hits, and a walk, striking out only two batters in his 80 pitches, highlighted other glaring issues.
While it’s not yet clear where the Mets can improve, David Stearns feels that he will go for a deal if needed. “In terms of external acquisitions, we’re always monitoring, but sometimes it takes a little bit deeper into the season to find the right fit, and I don’t see any specific glaring spot on the team right now that maybe we had last year at this time that we feel like we need to be extremely proactive about.” Unfortunately, Montas’ struggles in rehab do indicate something coming up, no?
However, for the fans, anger is somewhat justified. Fueled by their recent results.
$34M arm rehab struggles led to fans lambasting David Stearns
Although the New York Mets are still at the top of the table, Frankie Montas’ struggles scream for attention. They have lost their last five outings, against the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves. And now, when they need Montas, he appears to be far from his best. Fuming fans questioned David Stearns’ decision to take a gamble on Montas, who has so far provided very little justification.
One of the fans commented, “I still don’t understand why Stearns gave this guy $34 million.” Well, quite a lot of people must be thinking the same. Stearns signed the right-handed pitcher, putting faith in him despite a lengthy injury history. However, Frankie Montas hasn’t lived up to the expectations, as he went 0-3 in the minor leagues with a 12.05 ERA, 6 G, and 18.2 IP, recording only 12 strikeouts with a 2.14 WHIP.
I still don’t understand why Stearns gave this guy $34 mill
— Devin (@rooney_devin83) June 19, 2025
Another fan questioned Stearns only on this particular choice. “David Stearns has done a fantastic job but my goodness, what the heck did he see in Frankie Montas?” Perhaps he considered Montas’ regular season career, where he went 44-46 with a 4.09 ERA, 160 G, 744.1 IP, and struck out 760 hitters at a 1.31 WHIP. But one thing he surely missed was looking at the long list of injuries that he suffered. Be it the latest lat strain on March 27, the forearm injury he suffered on April 21, 2024, or the shoulder injury on March 30, 2023. There are multiple instances of injuries that have affected his career.
“Stearns, unlike many, did not invest in the long term in sports. But the returns on Manaea and Montas have been nil. That’s factual.” An X user blamed the president of baseball operations for not investing money in long-term prospects. Well, that’s true, given that neither Montas nor Sean Manaea has excelled. While we have already seen how poor Montas was in the minors, Manaea had been equally dismal. While playing for the High-A Brooklyn, Manaea gave away eight runs, out of which seven were earned, and that too in just 6.2 innings. In his final outing against Asheville on Sunday, he struck out eight but gave away 11 hits along with three walks.
More criticism poured in as one of the users commented, “This dude is the first person to turn a rehab assignment into a demotion or DFA. What a bad look for Stearnes.” While most players in rehab try to make the most of it to show their worth, Montas failed to leave a significant mark. Expectations were at their peak, hoping that Montas could fill the gap in their roster. But unfortunately, he faltered, although it was his longest start during his rehab. And that’s why the fan is speculating that he might be designated for assignment or get demoted once again.
Finally, another fan came up with a solution. “Just let Jared Young pitch.” The Mets haven’t yet decided whether to let Montas go to the majors or not. But yes, if he doesn’t, Jared Young just might get a pop. Although Jared Young has left a long-lasting impression with his hitting, scoring six homers and batting at a .272 average with a .926 OPS, he did pitch a few innings at the Triple-A level. He is flexible enough to play in different positions as well, be it in center field or as a catcher.
While the criticism won’t fade away soon, it all depends on what Carlos Mendoza and Davis Stearns have in mind about Frankie Montas. Will they give Montas a chance to prove himself in the majors, or will he be demoted?
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