Athletics' Frankie Montas: Returns from oblique injury

Montas (oblique) pitched three scoreless innings in relief Friday in the Arizona Fall League. He struck out one in Mesa's win.

Analysis:

The big question regarding Montas, now that he has returned from the strained oblique that had sidelined him since May, is whether he is a starter or reliever long term. Oakland will continue to develop him as a starter, but many evaluators peg him for a late-inning role due to command and pitchability concerns. He will likely begin 2017 at Triple-A, and if he has success he could quickly get an audition in the big league rotation.