Jordan Montgomery’s season with the Arizona Diamondbacks has been disappointing, and it has hit another obstacle. D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo announced Friday that Montgomery is being moved to the bullpen, as reported by the Arizona Republic. Right-handed pitcher Ryne Nelson, who has a 2.82 ERA in his last eight starts, will continue in the rotation.
“(Nelson has) been one of the best pitchers since July 1 in all of baseball, not just the National League,” Lovullo said Friday (via the Arizona Republic). “I didn’t want to run away from that.”
Montgomery signed a one-year, $25 million contract with the D-backs at the end of spring training but has struggled to find his form. He currently has a 6.44 ERA in 19 starts, with his most recent outing against the Miami Marlins resulting in six runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. This marks the sixth time in 19 starts that Montgomery has allowed at least six runs.
A year ago, Montgomery played a key role in helping the Texas Rangers win the World Series. It was expected that he would secure a lucrative contract as a free agent over the winter. However, he remained unsigned until late March, along with other Scott Boras clients like Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, and Blake Snell. Montgomery parted ways with Boras shortly after signing with Arizona.
“I had a Zoom call with the Boston Red Sox during free agency. That’s really all I know. It went well,” Montgomery said Friday (via the Boston Herald). “I don’t know. Obviously Boras kind of mishandled it, so I’m just trying to move on from the offseason and put it behind me.”
While Bellinger, Chapman, and Snell have shown improvement in recent weeks, Montgomery has struggled to regain his form. With his contract including a player option for 2025, which is likely to be exercised, Montgomery’s move to the bullpen seems justified given his performance compared to Nelson’s.
The D-backs, who are in the NL West race, need their best starters in the rotation. With Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly returning from injury, they join Nelson, Zac Gallen, and Brandon Pfaadt in the rotation. Montgomery has limited experience as a reliever, with only three relief appearances in his career.
Arizona is set to face the Boston Red Sox in a three-game series at Fenway Park. They currently hold the top wild-card spot and are five games ahead of a postseason berth, with a record of 72-56.
Montgomery, 31, had an impressive 3.20 ERA in 32 starts for the St. Louis Cardinals and Rangers last year, followed by a strong postseason performance.
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