With right knee inflammation, Jordan Montgomery joined two other Diamondbacks starters on the IL back on July 2. According to John Gambadoro at AZ Sports, Montgomery is about 12-14 days away from returning to the mound for Arizona. This would place him back in the Diamondbacks’ rotation either on the road against the Kansas City Royals or at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nevertheless, Montgomery will not be available until after the All-Star break.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!While Montgomery was not necessarily Mr. Reliable on the mound for Arizona, he at least brought stability to the Diamondbacks’ rotation with his healthy, experienced arm. The lefty is on pace to finish with the worst ERA of his career at 6.44, but this has been skewed by a few terrible starts.
Some starts that have drastically altered Montgomery’s ERA:
- May 1 against Dodgers: 3 IP, 6 earned runs
- May 31 against Mets: 4 IP, 8 earned runs
- June 5 against Giants: 2 IP, 6 earned runs
- June 27 against Twins: 2.2 IP, 7 earned runs
Without these four starts, Montgomery’s season ERA would be 3.33 across nine starts, much better than his actual 6.44. In those nine solid starts, the Diamondbacks hold an 8-1 record.
Oddly enough, Montgomery’s struggles have mostly come at home. The 31-year-old holds a 4.80 ERA on the road, compared to a 7.82 ERA over eight starts at Chase Field.
Regardless of whether he returns against the Royals or the Pirates, Montgomery will be the first of three pitchers the Diamondbacks have coming off the IL after the All-Star break. Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez are not expected to be fully healthy until mid-August.
