Montgomery set to miss 4-6 weeks

HOUSTON — There is never a good time for a starting pitcher to be diagnosed with a flexor strain in his throwing forearm.

That was what Jordan Montgomery was told Wednesday, and it could keep him away from a big-league mound for six-toeight weeks. He won’t even pick up a ball for three weeks.

That news is quite a blow to the Yankees’ starting rotation that has played a colossal part in the team winning 11-of-12 after Wednesday’s 4-0 victory against the Astros at Minute Maid Park.

What makes it worse is the Yankees don’t have a stud pitching prospect ready to ascend from the minors to majors. And because it is early May, it’s highly unlikely a team, even a bad one, is willing to begin dealing starting pitching. Eventually, the Royals will look to move Ian Kennedy, the Rangers will listen on Cole Hamels and the Reds’ Homer Bailey will be mentioned.

So the Yankees will initially turn to Domingo German to take Montgomery’s place in the rotation beginning Sunday against the Indians at Yankee Stadium. It will be the 25-year-old German’s 13th bigleague game and first start.

“We felt really good going into the year that German and [Luis] Cessa would be a big part of our depth as starters and relievers,’’ manager Aaron Boone said. Cessa has been on the disabled list since April 19 with a left oblique strain. “I think in the shortterm [German] will be the guy and someone we feel really good about. But there is also value in the role he was in [Tuesday] night.’’

That’s when German tossed four scoreless innings after Montgomery didn’t come out for the second inning of an eventual 4-0 Yankees victory over the Astros.

Boone understood Dr. Chris Ahmad’s diagnosis on Montgomery could have been better but it also could have been worse.

“Not great news but not the worst case,’’ Boone said of Montgomery, who is 2-0 with a 3.62 ERA in six starts. “Hopefully we get him back in the second half.’’

There have been times when a flexor problem leads to Tommy John surgery, but Boone was confident that isn’t what the Yankees are looking at.

“This could be a precursor to anything, but there is nothing that would suggest that at this time,’’ Boone said. “It’s a strain of the flexor and pretty straight forward and clear of what it is. It’s a three-week shutdown.’’