Frankie Montas is finally on the path toward making his Mets debut.
The 32-year-old right-hander began a rehab assignment with High-A Brooklyn on Saturday as he works his way back from a high-grade right lat strain suffered in Spring Training.
Montas was scheduled to throw approximately 30-35 pitches and made 37 in 1 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits, with two walks and one strikeout. He can be activated within the next 30 days barring an injury setback.
After spending 2024 with the Reds and Brewers, Montas signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the Mets last December that includes an opt-out after this season. But Montas was injured during his first bullpen session of the spring and has spent the entire season on the injured list.
Montas was traded from Cincinnati to Milwaukee last July 30 and wound up starting Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Mets, a game the Brewers won, 5-3. The Mets signed Montas, along with fellow free agents Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea and Griffin Canning, to bolster their rotation depth.
That depth has been tested but Mets starters have responded, leading the NL with a 2.91 starters’ ERA entering Saturday despite no contributions from Manaea or Montas. Manaea suffered an oblique strain, also during Spring Training. He is pitching off a mound and may be in line to begin a rehab assignment in the coming weeks.
Even more reinforcements are coming in the form of right-hander Paul Blackburn, who will make one more start in the Minors before potentially slotting into New York's rotation when a sixth starter is needed in early June. Blackburn has been sidelined with knee inflammation and also hasn’t pitched for the Mets in 2025.