A’s injuries: Frankie Montas will return after All-Star break, unless it happens before?

When will we see Frankie Montas pitch for the Oakland A’s again?

According to the latest update, the right-hander will wait until after the All-Star break to make his next start, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The A’s first game after the break will be Thursday, July 21, and Rosenthal suggests that as the target date.

Montas’ health first became an issue on July 3, when he exited his start early due to shoulder inflammation. An MRI revealed no structural damage, and he received a cortisone shot to aid his recovery but was not placed on any injured list. Since then he has skipped one turn in the rotation, with Zach Logue filling in for him last weekend.

The question then turned to whether he’d miss another start, or return to action this week before the All-Star break begins Sunday. He threw a couple dozen pitches in a bullpen session Tuesday and “felt good coming out of it,” per insider Martin Gallegos. On Wednesday (today) he was “feeling sore but played catch and felt better throughout,” reports Gallegos, who added at the time that there was still optimism of him pitching this weekend. Matt Kawahara of the S.F. Chronicle also referred to it as a day-by-day consideration that hadn’t officially been decided yet.

Meanwhile, Rosenthal offered more decisive terms ... in both directions. Just before 1 p.m. PT today, he reported that Montas would definitely start this weekend, with the only question being whether it would be Saturday or Sunday. Then three hours later, and about a half-hour after the latest Gallegos and Kawahara tweets, Rosenthal turned a 180 and reported that Montas will not come back yet, and will wait until the first game after the break.

So, Montas is either definitely starting this weekend, definitely not starting this weekend, or it’s undecided. Perhaps the only thing we can say for certain is that he’s not going to switch to football and join the NFL.

But the very latest freshest update, from the top national journalist in the baseball industry, is that Montas won’t return until after the break. So let’s go with that for now.

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Quick updates on a couple other injured A’s.

Relief pitcher Dany Jimenez is out with a strained shoulder, but played catch last weekend and is “close to returning,” reported Gallegos last Friday. Jimenez will need a rehab stint before being activated, adds Gallegos.

Infielder Jonah Bride is also out with a shoulder issue, incurred in a collision on June 26. Last Friday he was hitting and throwing, reported Gallegos. Now he’s ready to begin a rehab assignment, which he will do tonight with Triple-A Las Vegas, per Kawahara, who adds the following timeline specifics: “DH first two games [Wed/Thu], off Fri, then play in field Saturday.” That timetable would put Bride out of MLB action through the All-Star break, but would potentially set him up to return soon afterward.

Outfielder Stephen Piscotty was hit by a pitch in the left wrist Monday and exited the game (click here for video). That’s the same wrist he had surgically repaired after the 2021 season. Fortunately, X-rays were negative for any fractures, and the diagnosis is a “forearm contusion” that will only put him out day-to-day. He did not start Tuesday or Wednesday.

Here’s the latest injury report:

• RHP Deolis Guerra, out for year, elbow (Tommy John surgery on 4/13)
• RHP Brent Honeywell, 60-day IL, elbow (shut down 3/28; began throwing 7/6)
• RHP Daulton Jefferies, 60-day IL, rib (thoracic outlet surgery 6/13)
• RHP Dany Jimenez, 15-day IL, shoulder (retroactive 6/19; began throwing 7/4)
• DH Jed Lowrie, 10-day-IL, left shoulder (retroactive 6/27)
• IF Jonah Bride, 10-day IL, right shoulder (retroactive 6/27; began rehab 7/13)
• RHP Frankie Montas, day-to-day, shoulder (hurt 7/3; return after ASB?)
• OF Stephen Piscotty, day-to-day, left wrist (hit by pitch 7/11)