Tommy John surgery didn’t just let Yankees lefty Jordan Montgomery return to the mound.

It’s made him even better, he said.

“My mechanics were pretty rough that year before (the surgery),” Montgomery told MLB Network Radio on Saturday." I was doing anything I could to get my arm through, really contort my body to get it through because that was kind of the spot where it didn’t hurt.

“Now I can just let my arm through and keep my posture and use my thighs a bit more now, which I’m excited about. Clean everything up the best I can and be simple and smooth is what I’m going for.”

The timing couldn’t be better.

Montgomery will go into spring training hoping to fight for a fifth starter spot that J.A. Happ would appear to currently own. But it’s been speculated that the Yankees may try to move the 37-year-old Happ and his $17 million salary for 2020.

If Happ were to be traded, Montgomery would be the frontrunner for the job, which he held in 2017 and until he hurt his elbow in 2018.

Montgomery went 11-7 with a 3.84 ERA in 35 starts over his first two seasons. Last year, he appeared in just two games.

Montgomery said he feels strong a month before spring training starts.

“I’m a little ahead of schedule right now,” he said. “Coming off (Tommy John surgery), taking all of last year off and getting ramped up right near the end of the year I kind of decided to take less time off and really make sure I come into spring training strong. It kind of made sense to take less time off. Working as hard as I did, rehabbing, strengthening and getting all those little muscles fired up and strong again, and to take all that time and then lose it kind of seemed silly to me. So I took two weeks off, eased into throwing really easy for two or three weeks and got it going after that.”

Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.