The New York Mets will likely have to start the season without one of their new starting pitchers. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets are reportedly shutdown of left-handed starter José Quintana for three months.
[Free bracket contests for both tourneys | Printable Men’s | Women’s]
Quintana only made two spring starts before injury arose. He was ruled out of his last start on March 5 after feeling tightness in his left side and was diagnosed with a minor stress fracture in his left fifth rib the next day. He pulled out of the World Baseball Classic (in which he was scheduled to play for Colombia) due to an injury, but there was no update on his diagnosis or treatment until Monday.
The Mets signed Quintana to a two-year, $26 million contract during the off-season as they tried to add a starting player to their arsenal in the middle of the rotation. He has a career 3.75 ERA over 11 seasons, which includes some not-so-great games with the Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs. He started 2022 with the Pittsburgh Pirates but was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals midway through the season. Quintana ended the 2022 season with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts (62.2 innings) for the Redbirds.
If Quintana’s rehab goes according to plan, he may return to the rotation during the All-Star break. As for who will replace the only left-hander in the rotation in the meantime, the Mets are reportedly considering internal options at RHP Tylor Megill and LHP David Peterson.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
