Jordan

Montgomery

This was a no-brainer for Montgomery. He’ll make $22.5 million in 2025 after posting a 6.23 ERA in 25 appearances with Arizona in 2024. Montgomery cashed in after a career year in 2023, when he was traded to the Rangers, posted a 2.79 ERA in 11 starts and won the World Series. He’s an interesting bounce back candidate heading into 2025.

Montgomery allowed six hits and two walks, and he struck out six. The left-hander was given eight runs of support, but still wasn’t efficient — or effective — enough to get the necessary five innings to get the win. The Diamondbacks blew the 8-0 lead anyway. In his two starts since returning to the rotation, Montgomery has allowed six runs in nine innings. You can do the math to determine that ERA. He’ll face the Padres on Saturday. Pass.

The Diamondbacks didn’t do Montgomery any favors by having his return to the rotation come in Coors Field. He actually induced 17 missed swings tonight and had an average exit velocity against of 80.4 mph, so the outing was more encouraging than the line suggests. He’ll probably start again Sunday against the Brewers.

Montgomery left Monday’s game because of an ankle contusion. He came in with the Diamondbacks down 4-0 tonight, and the team never scored, rendering his performance moot.

Consider him day-to-day, unless maybe we find out three months from now that it was a fracture all along. Montgomery left Monday’s game after being hit by a Teoscar Hernández comebacker.

It was a 94-mph grounder off the bat of Teoscar Hernández, and it produced an immediate welt. Montgomery pitched scoreless fifth and sixth innings after replacing Eduardo Rodriguez today, but he wound up being charged with three runs in the seventh.

That means that Ryne Nelson will deservedly keep his spot in the Diamondbacks’ rotation as the club moves back to five-man rotation. Montgomery has struggled to a cringe-inducing 6.44 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and a 67/36 K/BB ratio over 95 innings in 19 starts on the season. He wasn’t really viable from a fantasy perspective in the rotation and he certainly won’t be as a long man out of the D’Backs’ bullpen.

The 31-year-old southpaw walked one and struck out four batters on the evening. Trying to make a case to stick in the club’s rotation once they shrink it down to a five-man rotation, Montgomery came out very flat on Wednesday. He served up a two-run homer to Jake Burger in the opening inning and a two-run blast to Cristian Pache as part of a four-run rally in the fourth. Montgomery got 12 whiffs on 88 pitches on the night, leading to an underwhelming CSW of just 24 percent. He has compiled a miserable 6.44 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and a 67/36 K/BB ratio across 95 innings through his first 19 starts. If he gets another chance to start, it would be on Thursday against the Mets.

Montgomery reeled off three hitless frames to open the contest and was handed a five-run lead by Arizona’s offense before the Rockies got to him for three runs over the next three frames. Fortunately, the Diamondbacks were able to supply him with enough offense to allow him to cruise to a relatively easy victory, his eighth of the season. He’ll bring a lackluster 6.25 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 63/35 K/BB ratio across 89 1/3 innings (18 starts) into a favorable road tilt on Tuesday against the Marlins.

The Diamondbacks have six starters with Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly back, and although Nelson has easily outperformed Jordan Montgomery, his rotation spot isn’t assured at this point. Wednesday is Montgomery’s start, and it might actually be best for Nelson if he pitches in relief then; another poor performance from Montgomery would further bolster Nelson’s case for a permanent spot.