New York Mets starter Jose Quintana expected to be pitching in the World Baseball Classic for Colombia. Now an injury has thrown his availability for the start of the MLB season into question.
Quintana suffered a small stress fracture in his fifth rib on his left side, the Mets announced on Monday. The left-hander left his spring training outing Sunday because of side tightness before announcing he was withdrawing from the World Baseball Classic.
Quintana will travel to New York for further imaging. There is no timeline for his return.
“Now all I need is to get completely recovered and try to be ready for the beginning of the 2023 MLB season,” Quintana wrote on Instagram in Spanish.
The Mets signed Quintana to a two-year, $26 million contract this offseason to provide depth in the middle of their rotation. He posted a strong 2022 season with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts after being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
New York now faces a test in its rotation depth, where the team struggled with injuries in 2021. Behind aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are Kodai Senga, a Japanese pitcher set to make his MLB debut, and veteran righty Carlos Carrasco.
Additionally, the Mets could turn to David Peterson and Tylor Megill or Elieser Hernandez and Joey Lucchesi, who are expected to start the season in the minor leagues.