Report: Mets' Frankie Montas (elbow) could miss entire 2026 season

When Mets' manager Carlos Mendoza said last week that right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas was going to be out the rest of the 2025 season with a UCL injury, he acknowledged that Tommy John surgery was possibly going to be required.

It now sounds that's the route that Montas will be going, with the New York Post reporting Thursday that Montas will undergo surgery on his right elbow and is expected to be sidelined for potentially the entire 2026 season, as well, as he recovers.

Montas signed with the Mets last offseason on a two-year, $34 million deal after previous stops with the Chicago White Sox (2015), Athletics (2017-22), New York Yankees (2022-23), Cincinnati Reds (2024) and Milwaukee Brewers (2024).

It was a move that didn't pan out well for the Mets, as Montas started the season on the 60-day injured list with a right lat strain, and struggled immediately upon his activation to the major league squad.

Montas, who has a career 4.20 ERA over 783 innings, was moved to the bullpen earlier this month. He posted a 6.68 ERA and 3-2 record in seven starts before the move to the pen. In nine overall games this season for New York, Montas has a 6.28 ERA (his worst in a season in which he was primarily the starter) over 38 2/3 innings with 32 strikeouts, 14 walks and 48 hits (eight home runs) allowed.

The second year of Montas' deal with the Mets is a $17 million player option for the 2026 season.

--Field Level Media