Jordan Montgomery: Texas Rangers Already Have 'Ton of Studs'

New Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery is making fitting into the team's rotation his job as he prepares for his first start.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jordan Montgomery is expected to make his first start for the Texas Rangers on Friday to open a three-game series with the Miami Marlins.

For Montgomery, the mound at Globe Life Field will be a little familiar. After all, he was just in Arlington in June when the Cardinals faced the Rangers.

He came away impressed with the facilities but had no clue that two months later he would call it home — at least for the next few months.

For the second straight season Montgomery was moved at the trade deadline. Last July the New York Yankees — the team he broke in with — traded him to the Cardinals.

This time, it’s the Cardinals that moved him to the Rangers.

“Going from last to first is always fun,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery’s record this season (6-9) comes with a 3.42 ERA. He’s pitched well despite his record being upside down. He’s a hard-throwing left-hander who strikes out eight hitters per nine innings.

Getting acclimated after a trade can be hard. Montgomery had to leave his family behind in St. Louis as his kids are preparing for the start of school.

But there is one thing working his favor — pitching coach Mike Maddux. He was the pitching coach for the Cardinals last season and worked with both Montgomery and Chris Stratton, who also came over in the trade.

Montgomery said he can’t wait to take in Maddux’s meticulous preparation again, calling the long-time pitching coach’s scouting reports “gold.”

“Yeah I’m excited to work with Mad Dog again,” Montgomery said. “He just knows pitching. He knows how to sequence and do everything just to get hitters out and it makes everyone better.”

When Montgomery pitches again after Friday isn’t clear yet. The Rangers have six active starters after sending Cody Bradford back to Triple-A to make room for Montgomery. Nathan Eovaldi is on the injured list until at least Saturday with a right forearm strain. The Rangers believe he’ll be ready, or close to being ready, by that time.

The Rangers have decisions to make. But they didn’t trade for Montgomery just to have him sit. He’ll start and he simply hopes to add to what the Rangers have right now.

“Hopefully a little more stability,” Montgomery said of what he brings to Texas. “I mean the Rangers already have a ton of studs. So it’s definitely an honor to be a part of that rotation and to try and go out there every five days and keep the team in it and do my job.”

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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