The Mets’ revamped roster is taking shape at spring training, but they’ve already hit their first significant hurdle.
Frankie Montas will miss the start of the season with a high-grade lat strain, a setback for a team that invested $34 million in the former Brewers starter. While initial reports suggested a six-to-eight week shutdown period, Montas is more optimistic.
“It’s not how you start,” Montas said. “It’s how you finish.”
The right-hander believes he’ll need just four to six weeks before resuming throwing activities. That could put him back on the mound by late April or early May, rather than the originally projected June return.
It’s a significant blow for a Mets rotation that’s already facing uncertainty. Kodai Senga missed almost all of 2024 with injury, and while Sean Manaea is back after a solid season, the departure of Luis Severino leaves questions about rotation depth.
The timing is particularly frustrating given the Mets’ aggressive moves elsewhere. They’ve brought in Juan Soto on a franchise-altering $765 million deal and added bullpen pieces like Clay Holmes and AJ Minter. Jose Siri also joins the mix as the team reshapes its roster.
Montas was supposed to be a reliable innings-eater for the Mets. Despite a middling 4.84 ERA last year, he made 30 starts and threw over 150 innings – exactly the kind of durability the team was counting on. Now they’ll need to piece together those innings, at least for the first couple months.
The way things are shaping up, the Mets might need to look for additional pitching help. Holmes’ transition from closer to starter remains an experiment, and there’s still no clear timeline for when the rotation will be at full strength.
