The Diamondbacks bullpen and starting rotation depth took a hit, as left-hander Jordan Montgomery told reporters, that he'll need Tommy John surgery. Montgomery talked about it with Arizona Diamondbacks on SI's Jack Sommers.
Jordan Montgomery to have Tommy John Surgery pic.twitter.com/0cmU7LiNoz
— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) March 25, 2025
The surgery likely closes the book on Montgomery's tenure in Arizona. Signed to provide veteran innings to the rotation, Montgomery struggled through the worst season of his career. In his 25 appearances, 21 of them starts, he pitched to a 6.23 ERA across 117 innings and was demoted to the bullpen in August thanks to Ryne Nelson's mini-breakout in the second half of the season. With Brandon Pfaadt winning the fifth starter role, to no one's surprise, he and Nelson were opening the season in the bullpen.
Diamondbacks bullpen takes massive hit with Jordan Montgomery injury news
Arizona's bullpen takes a hit, which opens up the opportunity for Shelby Miller to make the roster. With Montgomery spending the 2025 season on the 60-day injured list, that should free up a 40-man roster spot. Additionally, Bryce Jarvis, who was competing with Miller for a spot in the bullpen, has an open path to the roster as well. The former starter projects as a multi-inning middle reliever who can give the Diamondbacks up to three innings in length, if necessary, along with Nelson being the long man.
For Montgomery, it means he'll be likely out until the middle of 2026. He'll hit the free agent market in the offseason recovering from surgery after two unfortunate seasons in Arizona. He'll be the second pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery this month, after fellow left-hander Blake Walston, who injured his UCL in a spring game against the Athletics.
The Diamondbacks signed Montgomery to a one-year deal plus a vesting option for 2025. Between the two seasons, he'll earn $47.5 million in what can only be considered a disastrous tenure for both the player and team. Now on the shelf, Arizona will not get any financial relief in a trade from the $22.5 million they owe him.
Another pitching injury affecting the bullpen includes Kevin Ginkel, who will open the season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, per The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro. That takes one of their backend arms out for a short while and has them scrambling for the late innings. A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez will likely share the late innings, with matchups likely dictating who's closing that particular game.
Kendall Graveman, who Arizona signed last month, has been slowed by lower back issues and hasn't had an update since last week. Drey Jameson is unlikely to be considered to replace Ginkel in the bullpen, as the team doesn't feel he's ready to take on the workload necessary for a reliever just yet. That leaves players like John Curtiss and Brandon Bielak, who are still in big league camp, with an opportunity to showcase themselves in the first two weeks of the season.