Jordan Montgomery Injury Update: Ex Rangers ace placed on 15 days IL following right knee inflammation

Since signing a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks at the end of March, pitcher Jordan Montgomery has struggled. He has been unable to recapture the magic he had during the 2023 postseason, where he helped the Texas Rangers secure their first World Series.

After starting 13 games, Montgomery has compiled a 6-5 record with a 6.44 ERA and will miss his next few starts. On Tuesday, Arizona announced they had placed the struggling lefty on the 15-day IL with right knee inflammation.

This is yet another blow to Arizona's rotation. They have been without Eduardo Rodriguez since spring training, and Merrill Kelly has been down with a teres major strain since late April.

However, it is not all bad news. The D-Backs recently saw their ace, Zac Gallen return to the rotation. He was down on the IL for nearly a month with a hamstring strain and was stellar in his first start back.

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What is going on with Jordan Montgomery this season?

Arizona Diamondbacks - Jordan Montgomery (Image via USA Today)

Looking back at Jordan Montgomery's struggling season with the Diamondbacks so far, there are a few causes for concern. One of the biggest concerns is his drop in velocity.

Montgomery averaged 93 MPH on his sinker last season but is averaging just 91.7 MPH this year, per MLB Trade Rumors. While that may not be a huge decrease to some, it is huge in the eyes of professional hitters.

Another cause for concern is Montgomery's low K/9 numbers. He went from having an 8.6 K/9 in 2022 with the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6.2 this year, well below the league average.

His presence in the rotation has not helped the club like they thought he would. Arizona sits in third place in the NL West, 10.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers who they start a series on Tuesday.