Jordan Montgomery is headed for his second Tommy John surgery.
The Arizona Diamondbacks starter shared the unfortunate news Tuesday, saying his left elbow had not been recovering very well.
“Day after the last game, came back sore,” Montgomery said. “Took a day off like I normally do. Next day it was still a little achy, so we pushed my bullpen back. Felt decent the next day. I kind of just threw through it. I threw a pretty good bullpen, but something was wrong.”
Imaging revealed surgery would be necessary, the left-hander said.
“We thought it was just kind of like a joint thing, would get a shot in there, clean it up and I’d be good,” Montgomery said. “It just wasn’t the case.”
Montgomery, 32, previously underwent the elbow operation in 2018 as a member of the Yankees.
Tuesday’s announcement delivered another blow in what’s been a difficult two years for Montgomery.
After he emerged as a postseason hero for the World Series-winning Texas Rangers in 2023, Montgomery was one of several Scott Boras clients to endure a prolonged free agency going into the 2024 season.
He ultimately joined the Diamondbacks on a one-year, $25 million contract with a player option, then struggled to 6.23 ERA over 25 appearances, including 21 starts.
After the season, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick bemoaned on Arizona Sports’ “Burns & Gambo” radio show that his signing of Montgomery was a “horrible decision.”
Montgomery picked up his $22.5 million option a few weeks later. He allowed five runs in three innings this spring,
Before his injury, Montgomery was set to begin the season in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, with Arizona deploying a rotation of Zac Gallen, the newly signed Corbin Burnes, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt.
Montgomery was drafted by the Yankees in 2014 and made his MLB debut with them in 2017.
He pitched to a 3.94 ERA over five ½ seasons with the Yankees before they sent him to the St. Louis Cardinals for center fielder Harrison Bader before the 2022 trade deadline.
In eight MLB seasons, Montgomery is 46-41 with a 4.03 ERA.