NY Mets injury to Frankie Montas is all-too-familiar with recent free agents

The New York Mets' offseason optimism has taken another hit, and it's a familiar feeling for fans. Free agent signing Frankie Montas, brought in to bolster the starting rotation, has been diagnosed with a high-grade lat strain, sidelining him from throwing for 6-8 weeks and potentially keeping him out of action until June. This latest injury casts a dark cloud over the Mets' spring training and raises concerns about Montas's ability to contribute effectively if at all, this season.

Montas, a pitcher with a history of injury concerns, hasn't consistently replicated the form he showed in 2021 with the Oakland Athletics when he posted a 3.37 ERA with 207 strikeouts in 187 innings. His tenure with the New York Yankees was marred by injuries, highlighted by an arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in February 2023. That procedure, to clean up his labrum, only allowed him to pitch only one game that season.

Déjà Vu all over again: Montas injury is latest spring scare for Mets

In the 2023 season, José Quintana, another pitching acquisition, underwent bone graft surgery to repair a stress fracture in his rib, delaying his Mets debut until mid-July. Then there was Justin Verlander, perhaps the most impactful injury before even throwing a pitch in Queens.

Verlander was supposed to be the Mets co-ace when the team signed him for two years and $86.6 million in December 2022. But right after that, in Spring Training of 2023, Verlander was placed on the injury list with a low-grade muscle strain near his pitching shoulder. The teres major injury prevent to pitched until early May of that year.

Going back further, the Mets' injury woes in spring training with newly acquired pitchers include names like Jason Vargas and Carlos Carrasco. These instances, and likely others, create a sense of déjà vu for Mets faithful. Each spring brings hope and excitement, only to be tempered by the all-too-familiar news of another pitcher hitting the injured list.

The Montas injury is a significant blow to the Mets' pitching depth. As the season approaches, the Mets will be holding their breath, hoping that the injury bug doesn't bite again and that their remaining pitchers can stay healthy and perform up to expectations. For now, though, the Montas situation serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of pitching and the ever-present risk of injury in baseball.