LOS ANGELES -- Rookie right-hander Frankie Montas, the centerpiece for the Dodgers in a December three-team trade, will miss two to four months after undergoing rib resection surgery on Friday, it was announced.
According to the club, Montas had a stress reaction in his rib, and the procedure was performed by Dr. Greg Pearl in Dallas. Pearl performed a similar operation for thoracic outlet syndrome on Josh Beckett two years ago when the veteran right-hander experienced numbness in his pitching hand. Beckett returned to action, threw a no-hitter, then retired at the end of the 2014 season.
Montas, 23 next month, was acquired from the White Sox with infielder Micah Johnson and outfielder Trayce Thompson in the three-team Todd Frazier trade. The Dodgers sent Jose Peraza, Scott Schebler and Brandon Dixon to the Reds in the deal.
MLB.com ranks Montas the No. 4 prospect in the Dodgers' organization.
Montas was likely to open the 2016 season at Triple-A Oklahoma City because of the Dodgers' pitching depth. He had a brief callup by the White Sox last year, when he went 0-2 with a 4.80 ERA in seven appearances (two starts).
Montas, who has triple-digit velocity at times, was originally signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Red Sox and was traded in 2013 in the Jake Peavy deal. He had surgery on both knees in '14.