Aaron Boone: Frankie Montas to Start Throwing Soon

Montas will be delayed at the start of the 2023 season due to his nagging shoulder.

A few days after the New York Post reported that Frankie Montas will miss the first month of the 2023 season, Aaron Boone provided a relatively encouraging update.

The right-hander, who is battling inflammation in his throwing shoulder, will begin his throwing program “any day” Boone said in an interview with the YES Network’s Jack Curry, which aired Thursday. "If that all goes well, then we start ramping him up,” Boone continued.

Boone doesn’t have a target date in mind for Montas’ return, but the Yankees will take a “conservative” approach with the 29-year-old since shoulder trouble is nothing new for him. Montas’ shoulder nagged him before and after the Athletics traded him to New York last summer, and he missed starts with both clubs.

Aaron Boone discusses the injury timetable for Frankie Montas with @JackCurryYES: "We want to be smart with it, be conservative with it." pic.twitter.com/dk6TQbwkbt

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) January 20, 2023

The New York Post's Dan Martin and Jon Heyman reported that Montas is 8-10 weeks behind in his offseason routine.

Montas, who recently avoided arbitration with a $7.5 million deal, figured to be the Yankees’ fifth starter in 2023 after he struggled last year, recording a 6.35 ERA over eight starts following the trade. With Montas set to miss time, Boone said Domingo Germán will “obviously” get a chance to fill the void. The manager also mentioned Clarke Schmidt, but Germán has more experience starting at the major league level.

Germán owns a 4.52 ERA over 70 career starts, including 14 last season when the 30-year-old righty recorded a 3.61 ERA over 72.1 total innings. Schmidt, another right-hander, has made just five MLB starts.

Whoever replaces Montas in the rotation, Boone is optimistic that the pitcher will make a difference once healthy. The Yankees believed they acquired a top of the rotation starter when they traded for him, but that hasn’t materialized yet.

Boone believes it will once Montas’ shoulder stops barking.

"The biggest thing with Frankie is getting him right and well,” the skipper said. “When we have that, we feel like we've got another frontline pitcher."

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