Three years ago Jordan Montgomery came from far off the pace to win the final spot in the Yankees’ rotation, then impressed in the first taste of the big leagues.
A 9-7 ledger with a 3.88 ERA in 29 starts at 24 years old provided a glimpse of what the 6-foot-6, 228-pound left-hander could develop into.
Now, after Tommy John surgery in 2018, when he was limited to six starts at the beginning of the season and working in two September big-league games late in 2019, Montgomery enters spring training as the betting favorite to cop a rotation spot that opened Wednesday when James Paxton underwent back surgery that could keep him out through May.