Yankees: NYY Demote Jordan Montgomery in Most Confusing Move of Summer

The Yankees have sent Jordan Montgomery down, and we have questions.

We’re sure there’s more to the story than just a bland tweet. There’s got to be some nuance missing, right? Because, at face value, the Yankees just demoted Jordan Montgomery, one of their five starters, just before Opening Day.

Montgomery, who just tore through the Mets lineup for five innings on Sunday, touching 96 in the process, will now be headed to the team’s alternate Summer Camp site in Moosic, PA.

We have some guesses about the process, but they’re just guesses, honestly!

Jordan Montgomery did not make the Yankees Opening Day roster.

Monty was a new man during camp this year, showing renewed vigor and improved stuff following his 2018 Tommy John surgery. An idealized version of the Opening Day roster definitely includes him — and, let’s be honest, probably includes Clarke Schmidt, too, who was demoted in favor of Michael King.

Montgomery will be heading down for the season’s first series, though, and our best guess as to what’s going on is as follows.

Despite his landmark progress, Masahiro Tanaka remains on the shelf. He won’t be cleared to face hitters or rejoin the rotation until after his next attempt to throw off a mound, five days from now. He’s currently on the IL with his concussion, and in his stead, the Yankees will try a bullpen game for the third contest of the season against Washington. Aaron Boone even confirmed as such.

Maybe this is all just a method to help the Yankees mess around with the bullpen and pack one additional reinforcement onto the roster before Tanaka returns? Then Gumby comes back, rounds out the rotation, and all is well?

Otherwise, we’ve got nothing.

New York’s rotation, especially in a shortened sprint, should probably include Gerrit Cole, James Paxton, Tanaka, JA Happ, and Montgomery. If there’s an interruption to that order once Tanaka gets back, then we have more questions.