QUEENS, NY — New York Mets starter Frankie Montas is set to pitch on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, as disclosed by manager Carlos Mendoza on Monday before their series opener against the Guardians at Citi Field.
“He is going to pitch against the Brewers. Senga is going to go Friday after the off day,” Mendoza said. “But because we have an off day in between that series, we could get creative. So maybe an opener in front of him. But as of right now, on Saturday, he’s going to play a part in that game.”
The 32-year-old right-hander allowed seven runs in four-plus innings on Sunday against the San Francisco Giants, raising his season ERA to 6.68, adding to a challenging debut season that began with a lat injury keeping him out until June.
Montas signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the Mets over the winter after playing with the Athletics, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, and Brewers.
Sunday’s performance marked his second consecutive difficult outing, having given up five runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings against the San Diego Padres on July 28.
Despite his struggles, which have underscored a recent slump among Mets’ rotation members except for David Peterson, a complete removal from the rotation is not currently considered.
“I don’t want to get too far ahead,” Mendoza said. “Right now, we’re talking about next start, and that’s what we’ve got. I spoke with him earlier [Monday], he’s going to prepare as a starter, but there’s a scenario where we use an opener.”
One more rehab start for Blackburn
Veteran starting pitcher Paul Blackburn will have one more rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday before potentially returning to the Mets, Mendoza added.
The 31-year-old righty has been sidelined with a shoulder impingement following a brief return from the IL due to a knee issue suffered at the end of spring training. Serving as a swingman across six appearances, he was 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA.
In his latest rehab outing over the weekend, he pitched 5.1 innings with Triple-A Syracuse, allowing two earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks on 93 pitches.
He will remain stretched out as a starter, providing the Mets another option alongside minor leaguers Brandon Sproat or Jonah Tong for the rotation should their struggles continue.
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