Frankie Montas open to any Mets pitching role as brutal rehab struggles mount

It is possible that Frankie Montas, after experiencing unfamiliar results, will experience an unfamiliar role.

Sporting a 13.17 ERA after five rehab starts, Montas will at least be considered for a relief job when he is activated.

He will make one more rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse, and “we have a decision after that,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.

Montas himself — a starter for the vast majority of a career that began in 2015 — suggested that if the Mets decide he belongs in the bullpen, he would pitch out of the bullpen.

It is also possible that if the Mets are still teeming with arms capable of length, they get creative and, say, have Montas ready to go to piggyback off of a three- or four-inning Paul Blackburn start.

“Whatever they tell me to do, that’s what I’m going to do,” Montas said before the Mets were scheduled to play the Rays on Saturday at Citi Field. “I just want to help.”

For Montas to help in any way, he would have to figure out what has plagued him with High-A Brooklyn and Syracuse.

A valuable right arm to whom the Mets committed $34 million over two years this winter has allowed 20 runs in 13 ²/₃ minor league innings, including an eight-run, five-out blowup against a Yankees affiliate on Friday.

Montas said he is still sorting through mechanical issues and finding his proper arm slot.

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He said he was not overly concerned by the poor results because the right-hander, sidelined since mid-February with a high-grade lat strain, said he physically feels well.

“This rehab process was actually pretty good. They did an amazing job with my lat,” Montas said. “I would say this is probably, I would say the strongest my shoulder and arm has felt in a while.”

Montas’ 30-day clock expires after June 22, leaving room for one final rehab start unless he is brought back on shorter rest with Syracuse to give him a look at relief life.

“As he continues to get reps, we’re hoping we start seeing better results,” said Mendoza, whose team’s greatest strength has been its rotation depth.

Even with Kodai Senga out for at least a month with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, the Mets for the moment are simply putting Blackburn back into the rotation.

David Peterson and Clay Holmes sport sub-3.00 ERAs.

Griffin Canning (3.22 ERA) has been a bargain signing who has pitched better than anyone could have predicted.

Tylor Megill (who entered play with a 3.76 ERA) has been arguably the best No. 5 in baseball for a rotation that began the day with an unmatched 2.78 ERA.

This excellence has been pieced together without Sean Manaea, who himself has been on a rehab assignment that has begun smoother.

Coming back from an oblique strain, the lefty has made two starts with Brooklyn, the second of which he built up to 2 ²/₃ scoreless innings over 46 pitches.

A third rehab start is expected Sunday.

He is still a few weeks away from becoming an option, but the Mets have not lacked for arms that belong in their rotation.

By reputation, Montas belongs in the rotation.

Over his nine major league seasons, he has pitched to a 4.09 ERA, finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting in 2021 and became an early December signing because David Stearns — with a strong track record in this category — believed there was a higher ceiling for Montas to reach.

It is still possible Stearns was correct, but Montas’ health has not cooperated, and now it is a question whether his arm will.

“This is very similar to a spring training ramp-up where you try not to focus on results too much early on in the ramp, and as you get a little bit later in the ramp, you want to start seeing outs,” Stearns said Friday.

Last week, before Senga hit the IL, Canning said he would be willing to pitch out of the bullpen if the team decided it would be best for the team.

Montas, who could be incentivized to excel in the rotation with an opt-out decision to make after this season, echoed those thoughts and said he wants to help regardless of role.

“That’s been what’s killing me … not being able to help,” Montas said. “Obviously the team is doing pretty good. [But] I’m the type of guy, I like to do my part.”