Montas to undergo elbow surgery; Tommy John possible, potentially shelving 2026. The 32-year-old posted a 6.28 ERA across 9 appearances (7 starts) after signing a one-year, $17M deal with the Mets; a $17M option for 2027 is likely to be exercised. New York had hoped Montas would unlock more from a veteran rotation, but injuries cloud that plan.

The Mets sit 72-61, four games back of Philadelphia in the NL East and 4.5 games ahead of Cincinnati for the final wild-card. With Montas sidelined, bullpen depth and rotation certainty will drive playoff odds and fantasy-value decisions for 2026.