Frankie Montas to Join Yankees After Bereavement List Stint

Montas is mourning the death of his mother-in-law.

Frankie Montas is expected make his Yankees debut on Sunday against the Cardinals, Aaron Boone told reporters on Wednesday.

The right-hander, acquired in a pre-deadline trade with the Athletics, will join his new team on Saturday in St. Louis following a stint on the bereavement list. Montas was added to the list Wednesday following the death of his mother-in-law.

Prior to being traded, A’s manager Mark Kotsay mentioned that Montas pitched through personal issues in his final start for Oakland on July 26. Montas confirmed that his mother-in-law died in an Instagram post.

Mark Kotsay mentioned that Frankie Montas was pitching through personal stuff that had been weighing on him. Montas pitched with a heavy heart last night after his mother in law passed away just a few days ago. pic.twitter.com/o5CDzHJP1n

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) July 27, 2022

The Yankees will have to send down a pitcher once Montas is ready to join the active roster.

Among the pitchers who were definitely available, Montas was considered the best on the trade block after the Mariners landed Luis Castillo from the Reds. Montas, 29, was acquired alongside right-handed reliever Lou Trivino.

The Yankees sent pitchers JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk, Luis Medina and infielder Cooper Bowman to Oakland in the blockbuster deal.

Aside from a shoulder issue earlier this month, Montas shined for the A’s before being dealt. He started 19 games for Oakland, pitching to the tune of a 3.18 ERA over 104.2 innings. Montas, who began his major league career with the White Sox in 2015, has struck out 25.8 percent of batters faced while walking 6.6 percent.

Montas owns a 35-32 record and a 3.73 ERA over parts of seven MLB seasons. He has a 3.30 ERA since the start of the 2021 season.

MORE:

• Yankees Included Gleyber Torres in Trade Talks Before Deadline
• Answering Five Questions About the Yankees' Decision to Trade Jordan Montgomery
• Yankees Aren't Concerned About Andrew Benintendi's Slow Start on Offense

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