3 injured NY Mets players who might become irrelevant before they come off the IL

The New York Mets have some notable players currently on the injured list. There are certain players who will be able to return to their respective positions when they return. However, three of them might not be relevant before they come off the IL because of their performances on the team, whether it's this season or beforehand. Thus, that could lead to these players likely being replaced by others who are doing better on the team.

1) Frankie Montas

Frankie Montas, a right-hand pitcher who the Mets signed in the offseason, has been on the IL since February with a high-grade lat strain injury, which has caused him to be shut down for six to eight weeks. He was intended to be a reliable, quality starting pitcher for the team's rotation until the injury occurred.

The 32-year-old veteran from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, still has a ways to go before making his season debut with the Mets, but it might not be necessary because of how the team's pitching has been so far compared to his overall career performances.

Montas has had an inconsistent major league career, physically in particular. After missing nearly all of 2023 with a shoulder injury, he played a full season with both the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers and pitched well most of the time. However, he has put up ERAs above four in the last three seasons excluding 2023, and his overall career ERA is 4.09. The Mets as a team have a lower ERA so far this season. It could be a risk to put him in the starting rotation at this point since the starters continue to pitch effectively.

Montas' salary demands he gets a shot in the rotation. However, with players like Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill pitching as well as they have, it's going to be tricky to eliminate either of them in favor of someone who seems far from a guarantee to succeed.