Rays Shakeup Roster Ahead of Series Opener vs. Reds

The move comes ahead of Tampa Bay’s three-game road stand against the Cincinnati Reds. After a difficult outing against the Minnesota Twins on July 6 resulted in a blown save, the Rays optioned Montgomery to Triple-A Durham while recalling right-hander Mason Englert.

The Rays selected Montgomery, 25, with the 191st pick in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Texas Tech. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 5, 2024, against the Twins, striking out one batter and surrendering a walk in one inning of work.

Montgomery’s 2025 season has been rocky. In 40 appearances, he has a 1-2 record with one save, two blown saves and nine holds. Montgomery possesses a 5.74 ERA with 41 strikeouts while allowing 33 hits, 20 earned runs and 19 walks. 

Before being sent down to Durham, Montgomery appeared in three games in the early days of July, going 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA. He struck out two batters while allowing four walks, a home run and two earned runs.

In five games with Durham this season, Montgomery is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He has seven strikeouts and only one earned run in five innings of work.

Despite producing dissatisfying end results, Montgomery continues to display good metrics. His fastball velocity is in the 97th percentile, while his whiff percentage is in the 95th percentile and his chase rate is in the 91st. 

Reintroducing Montgomery into the fold may give the Rays bullpen a boost in late-game situations.