Jordan Montgomery is ready to get back on a mound for the Texas Rangers. The part that still needs sorting out is how exactly he fits back into the mix.
Manager Skip Schumaker didn’t give much away when asked about Montgomery’s activation timeline, saying only “soon,” per MLB.com. That tracks with where Montgomery is physically: he threw five shutout innings for Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, got up to 85 pitches and cleared the 75-pitch mark Major League clubs usually want to see from a starting pitcher working back from Tommy John surgery.
The Rangers also got a look at another arm coming off elbow surgery this week. On Wednesday, Cody Bradford was asked to help after he had not started a game in nearly two. He went 70 pitches, and Texas won.
So the arm talent is coming back. The question is where Montgomery lands.
Texas has already mapped out its rotation for the upcoming three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. Nathan Eovaldi is set to start Friday, Jacob deGrom on Saturday and Kumar Rocker on Sunday. That leaves little room to maneuver right away.
Based on his usual rehab schedule of normal rest plus one day, Montgomery’s earliest realistic start would have been Saturday. That window has passed, which pushes his next possible turn to Monday on the road against the Los Angeles Angels. That spot currently belongs to Cal Quantrill.
It would be the cleanest fit. Moving Montgomery there would also give MacKenzie Gore an extra day before his Tuesday start, while giving the Rangers a stretch of back-to-back left-handers.
Schumaker also floated another possibility: using Montgomery out of the bullpen. If Texas went that route, he could be available as soon as Friday to back up Eovaldi. Montgomery barely pitched in relief during his first stint with the Rangers in 2023, with the lone exception coming in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against Houston.
In the regular season, Montgomery has only five relief appearances on his résumé, and the last one came in 2019 with the New York Yankees. Whether that kind of usage really suits him is still an open question.
The Rangers have not tipped their hand that relief work is seriously on the table. Still, with 10 games in 10 days and six starting pitchers available, a temporary six-man rotation would make sense if the goal is to build in extra rest for Bradford and Montgomery.
It could also help Eovaldi and deGrom, both in their mid-to-late 30s and deep into the grind of the season. If Texas went that direction, Montgomery could start Monday against the Angels and then again Sunday against the Athletics. After that, the Rangers would have an off day before heading home.
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