Houston Astros: Five Questions Entering September

Is August just a rough month for Rafael Montero or signs of him returning to his struggles from Seattle?

Similar to Yordan Alvarez, the month of August has been unkind to Rafael Montero. It’s possible his overuse is a primary driver in his issues this month.

He’s made 13 appearances, tied for the most he’s had of any month this season, and has thrown 11.2 innings which is the most of any month this year.

His ERA of 6.17 is by far his worst mark of any month in 2022, as he gave up at least an earned run in five of his 13 appearances while allowing multiple baserunners in seven of his 13 appearances.

The positive is his strikeout numbers are still solid with 12 this month, but he has also allowed 14 hits which are five more than he’s allowed in any other month this season.

These are what they call the dog days of August and fatigue could be a factor, but with Montero, there has to be concern regarding the mental side of things.

This is someone who was on par with Jacob deGrom as a prospect in the New York Mets system and for whatever reason, just hasn’t really been able to put together the kind of career someone with his talent and pitching repertoire should have.

No one’s saying he has to be a Cy Young contender but he certainly should be an effective reliever with the stuff he has. September will be an interesting month to see if his issues are fatigue-related or something bigger. The mental side of things for Montero will be worth monitoring going forward.