47 Frankie Montas SP

Montas, who was cleared to join spring training Thursday after a bout with COVID-19, is still experiencing some light chest congestion but has been able to get through workouts without issue thus far, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander also dealt with body aches and headaches while going through the virus, but he's been free of those since quarantining in his Arizona home for 14 days. Montas has been in the process of ramping back up after his late start, although he was throwing live bullpens before the diagnosis. The soon-to-be 28-year-old is trying to focus on having fun on the mound again in 2021 after a mostly miserable 2020 in which he produced a 5.60 ERA and 1.51 WHIP, and he's also looking to reincorporate a splitter that worked very effectively for him in 2019 after relying heavily on just his fastball and slider last season.

Montas, who was cleared to join spring training Thursday after a stay on the COVID-19 injured list, has already begun his ramp-up process, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander has already begun a throwing program, and manager Bob Melvin has confirmed Montas will be on the same schedule as the rest of the staff, but just a bit behind in the actual implementation. Montas is expected to progress from throwing bullpens to facing hitters in simulated situations in coming days, and he'll naturally have a chance to see action in multiple Cactus League games.

Montas was cleared to join his teammates Thursday following a brief stay on the COVID-19 injured list, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Montas tested positive for the virus prior to camp and missed the first few workouts. With Opening Day still over a month away, he should still have enough time to get up to full speed by the start of the season.

Montas landed on the COVID-19 injured list Friday, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The news is not unexpected after reports emerged Wednesday that Montas tested positive for the virus. A timeline for his arrival in camp has not yet been provided, so it's possible his buildup winds up being delayed enough that he's not at full strength by Opening Day. The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the Athletics to add new signee Yusmeiro Petit.

Montas has tested positive for COVID-19 and is not in camp to begin spring training, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Montas was dominant in 2019 but struggled last season with a 5.60 ERA and 60:23 K:BB over 53 innings. The right-hander ended the season on a high note with a 13-strikeout performance against the Mariners, but he'll be sidelined to begin spring training after manager Bob Melvin revealed Wednesday that he's dealing with COVID-19. It's not clear whether he's experiencing symptoms, and a timetable for his arrival at camp hasn't been revealed. When he's fully healthy, Montas should serve as one of the top starters for the Athletics.

Montas signed a one-year, $1.8 million deal with the Athletics on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Montas didn't seem to be pitching like his normal self last season, logging a 5.60 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. His splitter, which was a dominant pitch for him in 2019, was much more hittable in 2020 and his groundball rate plummeted. It's possible he wasn't right physically, or perhaps his excellent 2020 was fueled by the performance-enhancing substance Ostarine, which he received an 80-game suspension for that year. A 13-strikeout game in which he allowed zero earned runs against the Mariners on Sept. 27 provides some hope that he can still return to his peak form.

Montas allowed five runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three over 3.2 innings in a loss to the Astros on Thursday in Game 4 of the ALDS.

Montas showed signs of life with his 13-K gem on the final day of the regular season, but he was unable to carry that success over into the playoffs. Houston hung a five spot on Montas in the fourth inning on Michael Brantley and Carlos Correa home runs. Montas struggled to the tune of a 7.23 ERA in the month of August and it did not get a whole lot better; he heads into the offseason having allowed multiple home runs in three of his final four starts (postseason included).

Montas will be available out of the bullpen for Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series against the White Sox on Thursday, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

A disappointing regular season in which Montas struggled to a 5.60 ERA in 11 starts led to him not being given the starting nod for any of the three games of the series. He does have experience as a reliever, as 30 of his 70 big-league appearance have come out of the pen, though the last of those came in 2018.

Montas struck out 13 while allowing two runs (zero earned) on four hits and two walks across six innings in Sunday's win over Seattle. He did not factor in the decision.

The right-hander entered the start in a major funk, having allowed 29 runs across in his last 24 innings. He found his groove Sunday, however, setting a season high in punchouts while working through the sixth inning for the first time since Aug. 8. The Mariners were able to score single runs in the first and second innings, but both were unearned as a result of errors by Marcus Semien and Jake Lamb. The A's will certainly feel more confident in using Montas in the postseason after his strong outing, though it's currently unclear if they plan on using him as a starter or reliever.

Montas (3-5) took the loss against the Dodgers on Tuesday, pitching four innings and allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three.

Montas made his first start since Sept. 13 after going on paternity leave last Monday, but the right-hander was unable to use the extra rest to halt his recent struggles. He yielded a season-high three home runs in the loss and failed to reach the fifth inning for the fourth time in his last six starts. Montas lines up to start Oakland's final game of the season against Seattle on Sunday as he attempts to get back on track heading into the playoffs.

Montas will start Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, John Hickey of SI.com reports.

The 27-year-old was reinstated from the paternity list Friday and will rejoin the rotation in the series opener against the Dodgers. Montas has a 5.86 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 44:20 K:BB through 43 innings and will have a tough matchup against a Los Angeles offense that leads the league in homers (100) and total runs (309).

Montas, who was reinstated from the paternity list Friday, is slated to draw his next start in the three-game series against the Dodgers that begins Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.

Montas was placed on the paternity list Monday, a day after suffering his fourth loss of the season against the Rangers. The right-hander is trying to right the ship before the postseason, but in the Dodgers, he'll draw about the toughest assignment this side of the Yankees with which to attempt do that. More details on exactly which day Montas will take the hill should be available in the coming days.

Montas was reinstated from the paternity list Friday, according to an A's press release.

The A's already have their starters set for Friday and Saturday with Chris Bassitt and Jesus Luzardo, but this frees up Montas to start Sunday agains the Giants if Oakland decides that's the way it wants to go. Montas has an ugly 5.86 ERA in nine starts this season and has only one victory in his last five outings. He has not made it through six innings in any of those five games.

Montas was placed on the paternity list Monday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Players typically spend around three days on the paternity list. If Montas misses no more time than that, the move will have no effect on his playing time, as his spot in the rotation isn't due up until Saturday against San Francisco. It's possible that pandemic-related protocols delay him for a day or two upon his return, however.

Montas (3-4) yielded four runs on seven hits and a walk over 5.1 innings Sunday, striking out seven and taking the loss against Texas.

Through five innings, Montas had allowed just one run on a solo shot by Derek Dietrich. However, his outing was ruined by Rougned Odor's three-run blast in the sixth. It was the fourth time in his last five starts that he allowed four or more runs. Montas will carry a 5.86 ERA into Saturday's home contest against the Giants.

Montas (3-3) earned the win in Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader in Houston after allowing two runs on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk over five innings.

Montas surrendered 18 earned runs and had an 11:9 K:BB across his previous three outings, so Tuesday's performance was a welcome sight. The 27-year-old has a 5.73 ERA and 1.54 WHIP through 37.2 innings and will look to build on this effort Sunday versus the Rangers.

Montas (2-3) took the loss in Game 2 of Saturday's twin bill against Houston, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five.

Montas needed 76 pitches to get 10 outs in the short start. He fell behind in the first inning when Kyle Tucker cleared the bases with a three-run triple, and he gave up two more runs in the second on a home run off the bat of George Springer. Montas pitched well over his first four starts, but since returning from back tightness Aug. 18 he has yielded 18 earned runs in 9.2 innings, pushing his ERA to 6.06 on the season. The right-hander will try to bounce back when he returns home to face San Diego on Friday.

Montas allowed four earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five across 4.2 innings Sunday against the Angels. He did not factor into the decision.

Montas allowed a three-run home run to Shohei Ohtani in the third inning, spoiling his outing. Though he allowed only one other run, Montas showed a concerning inability to find the zone -- he began only 11 of the 24 batters he faced with a strike and only 56 of his 96 total pitches went for strikes -- on his way to another subpar outing. Since missing a start due to back tightness, Montas has worked only 6.1 innings across two outings while allowing 13 earned runs. For the season, he now has a 5.22 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 16 walks across 29.1 frames. Montas will look to get back on track in his next turn through the rotation, currently penciled in for Friday at Houston.

Montas (2-2) allowed nine earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out one across 1.2 innings to take the loss Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

Montas was wild and hit hard in this short outing, as he allowed two extra-base hits, three walks and threw a wild pitch in the first inning. That led to five earned runs, but the trouble continued in the following frame, as he allowed a leadoff homer as well as two singles and a walk prior to being pulled. It was a disastrous start for Montas, who was making his first start since being scratched Friday with back tightness. He'll look to get back on track in his next turn through the rotation, currently penciled in for Sunday against the Angels.

Montas (back) felt good during a throwing session Sunday and is scheduled to return to the Oakland rotation for Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Montas was scratched with back tightness ahead of his scheduled turn Friday against the Giants, and though he was initially considered a candidate to start Sunday's series finale, the Athletics elected to take a more cautious approach with the right-hander, who threw a side session instead. Due to the brevity of his absence, Montas isn't expected to face any major restrictions Tuesday as he takes the hill for his fifth start of 2020. Montas owns a 1.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 22:9 K:BB across 23 innings.