Yankees pitcher Frankie Montas to undergo shoulder surgery, will miss most of season

The New York Yankees will be without pitcher Frankie Montas for most of the season.

Montas will have shoulder surgery Feb. 21, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters.

"Best case is he would be back late in the season," Boone said. "But, we really are going to know a lot after the (Feb.) 21st, when they know specifically what they have to do in there. If it’s just a scope, there is a potential he could be back late in the year."

Montas was added at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. He was acquired from the Oakland Athletics and made eight starts, recording a 6.35 ERA in 39 2/3 innings pitched.

However, Montas began dealing with shoulder inflammation late in the season, and the Yankees decided to shut him down in September.

"It’s been a couple different shutdowns where he was getting built back up," Boone said. "Then, he went out and saw (Dr. Neal) ElAttrache who cleared him to go again. He was building back up and it just still wasn’t quite right. So, he went back and now we’ve gotten to the point where they are going to go in and they’ll scope it, and we’ll have a better idea of the time frame then."

The Yankees are also dealing with an injury to Nestor Cortes Jr., who pulled out of the World Baseball Classic with a hamstring injury. According to the New York Post, Cortes is nursing a "low Grade 2" hamstring strain. Cortes told reporters the injury could keep him sidelined for a couple of weeks.

Still, Cortes expects to be ready for the start of the season.

"I think it’s something that’s definitely doable, to start the season off healthy and in the rotation," Cortes told reporters. "Hopefully we can get along and the training staff will help me get to that point."

The Yankees will look to pair Cortes alongside ace Gerrit Cole and free agent addition, lefty Carlos Rodón. The starting rotation could also welcome Domingo German and Luis Severino.

"For Frankie, I think it was this nagging thing that didn’t allow him to get over the hump," Boone said. "Whether it was the first go-around in Oakland and when he came to us and eventually got shutdown and able to get back. As he tried to ramp up a couple times this winter, he just hasn’t been able to get over that hump to be who he knows he is."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Frankie Montas shoulder injury: Yankees SP to be out for most of year