Montas was removed one inning into his start Sunday against the Mariners for an unspecified reason, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. He gave up one run on two hits and struck out one prior to departing.
According to Gallegos, Montas' fastball velocity over his 13 pitches was significantly lower than his 96 mile-per-hour season average heading into the start, so his removal appears to be linked to an injury rather than due to an imminent trade. In any case, the Athletics should provide an update on Montas' status later in the contest or after it concludes. Austin Pruitt came on in relief and is expected to cover multiple innings in the wake of Montas' departure.