How long of a leash should the NY Mets give Frankie Montas upon his return?

As the New York Mets look to bolster a pitching staff that is already the best in baseball, their attention has turned to Frankie Montas and his progression in his rehab starts following his Lat injury sustained in Spring Training.

Montas continues to struggle in his rehab starts. His most recent outing lasted 3.2 innings, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks. Of the four hits, three were home runs, making that his sixth home run surrendered in his last 7.2 innings of work.

Despite these struggles, Montas reached 76 pitches, making strides in building up his arm strength. Carlos Mendoza has to be smart in managing his workload early to not only benefit Montas, but to put the team in the best position to win.

The Mets have the means to protect Montas

Paul Blackburn seems to be the first starter sent to the bullpen this year, and could be the perfect arm to bridge the gap. Fortunately, this team has never needed a reliable long reliever, but with Montas set to make his final rehab start, Blackburn's new role could not have come at a better time.

Coming off a four-inning save against the Rockies, Blackburn has already shown his capability to eat innings out of the bullpen, matching his willingness to assume any role it takes for his team to win. This tandem approach not only protects Montas, but also saves a bullpen that has thrown the fifth-most innings in the National League from being burned out.

What kind of leash will the Mets have on Frankie Montas?

Frankie Montas has not appeared in a game since he faced the Mets in the playoffs last season and has thrown only 152 innings since 2022. This, combined with his slow start in Syracuse, means the Mets should keep a short leash on him.

If he cannot consistently get through five innings with less than four earned runs, the Mets will have no choice but to move him to the bullpen. Unless one of the current arms in the rotation gets hurt or loses their stuff, the decision of who to move to the bullpen to make room for Sean Manaea would become much easier.

The Mets don't need Montas to be an ace, just someone who can keep the team in games. But if he is giving up three home runs in four innings when he returns, expect the Mets to change his role sooner rather than later.

Carlos Mendoza has already shown his willingness to pull starters early, and Montas will be treated no differently. For a rotation that has quietly become one of the best in team history, it has the potential to become even better with Montas. And if Sean Manaea can return to the pitcher he was in 2024, no rotation will be able to match this group.