Montas did not factor in the decision against Detroit in the second game of a doubleheader Thursday, throwing three scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and one walk while striking out five batters.
Montas went 18 days without pitching in a game due to a shoulder injury, so Oakland was conservative with his workload and held him to just 53 pitches. The right-hander was effective in the short outing, racking up five strikeouts and allowing only two hits. This may have been a showcase to provide evidence of Montas' health for other teams, as the hurler is one of the most likely players to be moved before the Aug. 2 trade deadline. For what it's worth, Montas proclaimed the shoulder to be a non-issue following the game, stating, "No pain at all. Feel like I was ready to go. My arm feels strong," per Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle.