Mets’ Jose Quintana out until at least July with rib injury Braves option Ian Anderson, Bryce Elder to Triple-A

Left-hander Jose Quintana won’t make his New York Mets debut until at least July due to a stress fractured rib.

The Mets are relieved that the prognosis wasn’t even more severe.

Mets general manager Billy Eppler told reporters that a scan revealed damage to the rib. Quintana traveled to New York to visit a tumor orthopedic specialist for a biopsy and additional scans, which showed the lesion to be benign.

“It was more than baseball,” Eppler said. “Jose got our support and everything he needs. I’m just really grateful that we’re at least here, as opposed to one of the other possible outcomes.”

Eppler said that Quintana will have a bone graft operation in New York. Eppler said recovering from surgery would keep Quintana out until at least July 1, but offered no further details beyond that.

“A lot will depend on whether Jose can, how soon he can be physically active, how long he needs after this procedure,” Eppler said. “Does he need a week or 10 days or two weeks before he can run? Because it is a rather complicated operation. Whenever you get a bone graft, it will hurt. That’s why it’s hard to set a specific schedule.”

Quintana, 34, has signed a two-year contract. A $26 million contract with the Mets in December after going 6-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 32 starts with Pittsburgh and St. Louis last season. He is 89-87 with a 3.75 ERA.

Among the candidates for a place in Quintana’s rotation is a left-hander. David Peterson and right-handed Taylor Megill. Peterson, 27, went 7-5 with a 3.83 ERA last season in 28 games, including 19 starts. Megill, also 27, was 4-2 with a 5.13 ERA in 15 games, including nine starts.

This spring, Peterson struck out nine of eight closed innings. Megill has played 8 1/3 innings and has a 1.08 ERA with six strikeouts.

“Obviously it sucks to see one of your teammates go down because of this and I hope he gets back as quickly as possible and mostly healthy,” Peterson told reporters after he spent Tuesday four unsuccessful submissions. “But I think it has always been that way. The front office and the coaching staff wanted to have a starting pitching depth. They made it a priority. So, I think this is just the case when there are many to choose from.

NATS’ CAVALLI LEAVES THE GAME EARLY

Washington Nationals right-hander Horses are falling left his start after 2 2/3 innings. Following this, Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters that Cavalli felt something behind his throwing elbow.

Cavalli is expected to undergo an MRI.

The Nationals selected Oklahoma’s Cavalli with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 draft. The 24-year-old is considered one of the most promising players in the national team.

METS RETURNING GREEN TO YANKEE

Mets returned right-handed pitcher Zach Green to the New York Yankees three months after drafting him in the Winter NHL Entry Draft.

The Yankees assigned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Green, 26, went 9-0 with a 3.42 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings for Scranton last season.

TIGERS DEMAND PACHECO

The Detroit Tigers demanded right-hander Freddie Pacheco from giving up the Cardinals.

Pacheco, who turns 25 on April 17, went 3-7 last season with a 3.05 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 62 innings on Double-A and Triple-A.

St. Louis scratched an infielder Paul DeJong of their composition due to tightness in the lower back.

ORIOLES SEND HOLIDAY TO LITTLE LEAGUE CAMP

Baltimore Orioles reassigned shortstop Jackson HollidayNo. 1 pick in the 2022 Draft to the minor league camp.

This spring, 19-year-old Holliday showed great promise. He played in 5 of 13 spring practice games with a .529 on-base and .991 OPS.

NORTH PORT, Florida – Atlanta Braves selected. Jan Anderson to their Triple-A affiliate, marking the latest setback for the right-hander, whose promising start included five unsuccessful innings in Game 3 of the 2021 World Series.

The Braves announced that they had selected both Anderson and a right-hander. Bryce Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett. Both players were in contention for fifth place in the Braves’ starting rotation.

Anderson, 24, went 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and then went 9-5 with a 3.58 ERA with 24 starts in 2021. He had a 4-0 record with a 1.26 ERA. in eight postseason starts since 2020-21.

He was the winning pitcher in the Braves’ 2-0 win over the Houston Astros in Game 3 of the 2021 World Series and had no hitters when he was sent off after five innings.

But since then, he hasn’t been the same.

Anderson went 10-6 with a 5.00 ERA in 22 starts last season and was sent to the Minors in early August. He went 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA in three preseason appearances this spring.