Mike Montgomery made another excellent start Tuesday night for the Chicago Cubs. In six innings, he allowed just one run off five hits while striking out five. The Cubs have no choice but to ride his hot hand until it cools.
If you told a Chicago Cubs fan in March that their most reliable starter in June would be Mike Montgomery, they’d probably laugh you out of the room. If you told them that today, they just might agree with you.
Before Tuesday’s game, Montgomery had pitched 23.2 innings as a starter. He had a WHIP of just .68. If he had enough innings to be qualified, that would top Justin Verlander’s .76 WHIP for best in baseball.
But Montgomery wasn’t meant to be a starter for the Cubs in 2018. The possibility was there until the Cubs penned a three year, $38 million deal with Tyler Chatwood. Montgomery is meant to be a temporary placeholder until Yu Darvish returns from the DL. But could the Cubs send Montgomery back to the pen after all he’s done?
Montgomery, Chatwood, and Darvish all provide rotation uncertainty
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Yu Darvish has been injured for a while, but his return could be close; he’s expected to throw a simulated game Wednesday. If all goes well, he’ll likely go on a rehab assignment and return soon thereafter.
Chatwood is giving the Cubs the chance to win in most of his starts. However, his peripherals provoke questions about the sustainability of how he’s been succeeding. And Montgomery is pitching too well to make any pending decision easy on the Cubs.
The Cubs have toyed with a six-man rotation in the past; down the stretch in 2016 it helped their starters stay fresh for their historic 2016 championship run.
It makes just as much sense now as it did then since the Cubs have six capable starters and expectations of a postseason run.
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Mike Montgomery continues to forge his future in the rotation after each start. When Yu Darvish returns, we’re more likely to see a six-man rotation than a bullpen with Montgomery in it.