Frankie Montas entered A’s training camp in regular-season form. A claim made by several teammates and coaches over the past week or so reeks of exaggeration, considering his arm stamina isn’t ready for a complete game or even a quality start.
The 27-year old right-hander is, however, well ahead of the curve. He never stopped training during baseball’s shutdown over the coronavirus pandemic, which was evident in his first pitch of live batting practice.
Shortstop Marcus Semien stepped to the plate and saw Montas’ first offering went by in a 98-mph blur. It looked like an offering he posted on Twitter that hit triple digits.