The Diamondbacks are kicking Jordan Montgomery to the bullpen. Supervisor Torey Lovullo introduced the choice on The Burns & Gambo Present this afternoon (hyperlink through Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports activities).
Lovullo stated he knowledgeable Montgomery of the choice right this moment. Righty Ryne Nelson has outpitched Montgomery in current weeks, incomes the fifth starter job within the course of. Nelson, who’s on the mound tonight at Fenway Park, carried an ERA approaching 5.00 into the All-Star Break. He has fully flipped the script over the previous month, delivering a 2.89 mark whereas hanging out 29% of opposing hitters in 37 1/3 frames. Nelson stays behind Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt within the beginning 5.
Alternatively, Montgomery has struggled for primarily all the season. He owns a 6.44 ERA with a properly below-average 15.5% strikeout price over 19 begins. Montgomery acquired a late begin to the yr after not signing till Opening Day. Not like Blake Snell, who had an atrocious begin as a late signee earlier than recapturing his Cy Younger type, Montgomery has not discovered any success because the yr has gone on. He’s permitting 6.44 earned runs per 9 in each the primary and second half. Opponents are hitting over .300 whereas slugging north of .500.
Montgomery has averaged round 92 MPH on his sinker and four-seam fastball. Each pitches sat above 93 a yr in the past. Apart from a good 11.9% swinging strike price that’s in step with his profession common, there’s little on this yr’s statistical profile that provides a lot hope for a turnaround. Montgomery had a wonderful observe file coming into this season, however the D-Backs have 5 starters who’re performing higher as they battle for a playoff spot. They’re 4 video games again of the Dodgers within the NL West and maintain a five-game edge on a Wild Card berth.
This will likely be Montgomery’s first bullpen work in his profession. He has began 159 of his 160 MLB video games. The reduction look was in September 2019 when he’d returned from Tommy John surgical procedure with out the good thing about a prolonged minor league rehab project. He’ll presumably work as a multi-inning reliever. If the D-Backs make the playoffs, Lovullo and his workers might need a troublesome choice on whether or not to hold him on the postseason roster in any respect.
That’d have been arduous to fathom only a few months in the past. Arizona signed Montgomery as an anticipated high-floor rotation pickup when Rodriguez suffered a lat pressure in camp. He’s taking part in on a $25MM wage. He began 10 video games and unlocked an accompanying $20MM participant possibility for subsequent yr. That escalated to $22.5MM when he made his 18th begin; he’d have pushed it to $25MM if he reached 23 begins, although that now not appears possible. In any case, he’ll virtually actually train the choice somewhat than returning to free company subsequent winter.
