Frankie Montas is accepting of his new relief role, even if it’s not ideal.
The veteran right-hander said as much when manager Carlos Mendoza informed him this week that he was being removed from the Mets’ rotation.
“I told him I consider myself a starter,” Montas said before Thursday’s series finale against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. “In the meantime, if that’s the way that can help this team and I can contribute to get a win, I’m definitely willing to do it.”
Thursday’s game was the first in which Montas, 32, was available out of the bullpen since his conversation with Mendoza two days earlier.
Montas entered Thursday with a 3-2 record and a 6.38 ERA over eight appearances, including seven starts. His lone relief appearance came last Saturday in Milwaukee when the Mets used an opener in front of Montas, who then surrendered three runs (one earned) in three innings.
“As a starter, that’s where he wants to be, but he also understands this is where we’re at in the regular season,” Mendoza said Thursday. “Every game counts, and right now, his spot is in the bullpen. Whenever we call his name, we’re counting on him.”
The Mets signed Montas in the offseason to a two-year, $34 million contract, envisioning him as part of a rotation that lost Luis Severino and Jose Quintana from last year’s staff.
But Montas suffered a lat strain during spring training, costing him the first three months of the season, and upon returning, he struggled to find consistency.
“I haven’t been able to hit my spots the way I wanted in important counts and important moments in the game,” Montas said. “So, just trying to get better at that. Trying to get better at hitting my spots and executing pitches.”
Montas has been a full-time starter for most of his 10-year MLB career. In the six seasons before this one, Montas made only one relief appearance, which came in 2023 with the Yankees after he returned from shoulder surgery.
Last year, the hard-throwing Montas totaled 30 starts with the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers, going 7-11 with a 4.84 ERA.
“It’s pretty much new for him,” Mendoza said, adding, “We’ll try our best to give him more time to get loose, but life in the bullpen, things happen fast.”
Mendoza said he viewed Montas as “probably a multi-inning guy, long man out of the bullpen.”
“But you never know,” Mendoza added. “Things happen, and who knows if we play extra innings, and there he is pitching because of where you’re at [with the bullpen].”
Mendoza made the move amid the Mets’ prolonged slump. They entered Thursday with a 19-32 record since June 13, with their starters pitching to a 5.35 ERA and averaging 4.5 innings per start during that stretch.
The Mets are set to fill Montas’ rotation spot with prized prospect Nolan McLean, who went 5-4 with a 2.78 ERA in 16 appearances, including 13 starts, with Triple-A Syracuse. The right-hander, 24, is scheduled to make his MLB debut on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners at Citi Field.
“I’m a great competitor,” Montas said. “I take a lot of pride in the way I prepare myself for games. Like I said, if they think [pitching in relief is] the way for me to help, I’ll definitely be happy to do it.”
ON THE MARK
Thursday marked the fourth game in a row that Mark Vientos was not in the Mets’ starting lineup.
Lefty-swinging Brett Baty got the start at third base, while switch-hitting Ronny Mauricio was the DH against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder.
The Mets face a nightly lineup crunch with Vientos, Baty and Mauricio all competing for playing time at third base. The DH spot is typically open only on the days Starling Marte sits.
“There’s healthy competition,” Mendoza said, adding, “The messaging is, ‘You’ve got to stay ready, because it happens fast.’”
After hitting 27 home runs with an .837 OPS last year, the righty-swinging Vientos, 25, entered Thursday with seven homers and a .641 OPS. He was 4-for-22 (.182) without a home run in August.
Baty, 25, was 7-for-20 (.350) with two homers in August, while Mauricio was 2-for-15 (.133) without an extra-base hit for the month.
Thursday’s game was the 24-year-old Mauricio’s first since Sunday.
HOLMES STRETCH
As a reliever with the Yankees, Clay Holmes threw 63 innings in 2023, and 63 innings again last year.
He’s exactly doubled that total this season with the Mets.
Those 126 innings are a career high for Holmes, who is in his first season as a full-time starter.
Since the start of July, Holmes owns a 5.45 ERA over eight starts, raising questions about whether he’s hit a wall. He issued five walks and allowed five runs Tuesday against the Braves.
But Mendoza reiterated Thursday that the sinker-balling right hander will “keep getting opportunities” as a starter.
“He keeps saying he’s fine,” Mendoza said. “The numbers and everything keep telling us he’s in a good place, so we will continue to monitor it, but [we are doing] nothing differently.”
Overall, Holmes is 9-6 with a 3.71 ERA in 24 starts.
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