Frankie Montas Won’t Throw for 12 Weeks After Undergoing Surgery

Montas’ procedure did not involve his rotator cuff.

Frankie Montas’ shoulder surgery went as expected. Now the road to recovery beings.

The Yankees starter will not throw for 12 weeks after having his right labrum cleaned up, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. Montas did not have work done on his rotator cuff and hopes to return this season before hitting free agency.

The 29-year-old was already expected to miss the first month of the season after battling shoulder inflammation over the offseason. Montas also dealt with related injuries before and after the Athletics traded him to New York last summer. With Montas out for the foreseeable future, Clarke Schmidt and Domingo Germán are among those competing for the fifth slot in the Yankees’ rotation this spring.

Germán has more experience in the rotation, as he’s made 70 career starts. He made 14 last season when he recorded a 3.61 ERA over 72.1 total innings.

Schmidt has made just five big league starts in his young career.

Montas missed starts due to his shoulder toward the end of his tenure in Oakland, but the Yankees traded for the righty anyway. That decision backfired, as Montas struggled to the tune of a 6.35 ERA over eight starts before his shoulder shelved him again down the stretch.

Montas made one appearance in the American League Championship Series, but he allowed a homer in his only inning of work.

The Yankees had hoped to see what a healthy Montas could do over a full season before he hit the open market next winter, but the team will have to wait. If Montas does indeed pitch this year, he will have limited time to make an impact and increase his value.

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