SCOTTSDALE — Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Jordan Montgomery put together a more encouraging showcase on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies while major roster decisions loom.
As the D-backs near having to finalize their starting rotation before Opening Day on March 27, the pitcher accomplished what he set out to do in his first home start of Cactus League.
He dotted the edges and drew weak contact, finishing with 2.2 scoreless innings, three knocks but none hit hard through the air, two strikeouts and a lead-off walk.
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“I feel good. We got a lot of ground balls and threw more strikes,” the pitcher said after a 1-0 win.
“Sinker was really good today. Threw a couple good curveballs. Of course, the best curveball was changed from a strike to a ball. It’s getting there. Threw a good changeup in that first-inning strikeout. But sinker was really good.”
Montgomery threw 40 pitches on Wednesday with a sinker velocity at 90.3 mph, down 1.5 mph from last year but up from his spring debut. He is behind Arizona’s other starters in terms of building up, as Montgomery started spring training on the mend with a finger strain.
He struggled mightily to throw strikes in his first appearance on March 8 at the Cincinnati Reds, leading to five earned runs. He threw a backfields simulated game for his second outing to address some bad habits with pitching coach Brian Kaplan.
“I’ve never lost confidence. I know I’m a good pitcher,” Montgomery said. “Sometimes spring training will speed up on you.”
The D-backs have a decision between Montgomery, Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson for the fifth spot in the rotation. A six-man idea has not been met with much enthusiasm, and the top four appear solid with Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez.
Manager Torey Lovullo said all options are still on the table for the fifth spot. The D-backs only have seven more games (including a split-squad Sunday) before the regular season begins.
“We got to get (Montgomery) built up, that’s the most important thing,” Lovullo said postgame. “So, it’s three (innings), 40 (pitches). I think the next one is going to be four (innings) and somewhere in the high fifties (pitches). We still feel like there’s time and we want to evaluate them. We still have guys here competing and Monty is certainly in that mix.”
Lovullo said his conversations with Montgomery from early in camp stand in terms of lack of clarity.
“Not my decision,” the pitcher said when asked about a possible bullpen role.
Lovullo has brought up the chance of using a starter who does not make the rotation as a reliever in some capacity, noting the club will not shorten a guy up and try to stretch him back out.
Diamondbacks receive Jordan Montgomery trade enquiries
Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported on Wednesday that there has been recent interest from a few other clubs in trading for Montgomery, which could alleviate the logjam while bringing in salary relief. Montgomery makes $22.5 million this season after opting into his player option.
That does not mean a trade is guaranteed. The D-backs have publicly expressed confidence he can bounce back from last season and contribute in an undisclosed role.
“We need Jordan Montgomery to throw well. We are anticipating that he’s going to be a part of this team,” Lovullo said. “Where and what part of this team is yet to be determined.”
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