Frankie Montas was steadfast that his poor numbers during his rehab assignment from the injured lat that had sidelined him since the first day of spring training were nothing to be concerned about.
He took an invaluable first step toward proving that on Tuesday night in his 2025 season debut, when he fired five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks with five strikeouts.
“I thought he was good,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I thought the ball was coming out well.”
With it came a sigh of relief, of sorts. Across six minor-league starts, the 32-year-old right-hander who signed a two-year, $34 million deal to join New York over the winter sported an alarming 12.05 ERA with a 2.14 WHIP. Though now we know that his priorities were slightly different.
“When I was in the minor leagues, I was trying to get my pitches in, get my pitch count up, work on my pitches, and try to get ready for when I got an opportunity up here,” Montas said. “[Tuesday night], I was just trying to go out there and do my job, get people out.”
He came up with an answer to every hurdle that came his way. After leading off the game with a strikeout of slugger Ronald Acuna Jr., Montas had runners on the corners with one out in the first before inducing an inning-ending double play from Austin Riley.
With two men on and one out in the third, he got Matt Olson to fly out to center and Marcell Ozuna to strike out swinging. He then retired six of the final eight men he faced to leave the game with a 3-0 lead.
“That’s kind of like the guy we saw in the playoffs,” Mendoza said, referencing Montas’ start against New York for the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Wild Card Series. “It’s easy 97 [mph], a heavy sinker, he’s around the zone.
“If we get a guy like that, he’s going to help us, and that’s why he’s here.”
But then, in what is quickly becoming true Mets fashion, everything fell apart.
Reliever Huascar Brazoban walked the bases loaded in the sixth inning before Jose Castillo and Reed Garrett let five runs come in. In a blink, the Mets had lost for the 10th time in 11 games.
“There’s definitely some frustration,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “We don’t want to lose. I do feel a sense of urgency from the guys. It’s all about winning, and we’re not doing that right now.”
