*Photo from The Athletic*
The next man up is already a topic of discussion in Port St. Lucie. New York Mets LHP Jose Quintana has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in one of his left ribs, according to an announcement by the Mets on Monday.
Quintana has left Mets spring training in Florida and is travelling to New York to undergo further testing. There is no timetable for his return, which puts his status for opening day in jeopardy. Quintana has officially withdrawn from playing for team Colombia in the World Baseball Classic as a result.
While pitching in the Mets spring training game on Sunday, Quintana departed after one inning after tightness in his side. Imaging revealed a small stress fracture in the 5th rib on his left side. Sunday was supposed to be Quintana's final action before joining team Colombia ahead of the World Baseball Classic.
Mets manager Buck Showalter said in the aftermath of the injury that "One of our strengths last year, which was instrumental in winning the games we did, was the depth. That’s something that Billy and the front office have been very adamant about. We’re in a position to do that, but it does take it one more notch down on the depth list."
Should Quintana be forced to miss time, the Mets will still have Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Kodai Senga, and Carlos Carrasco in the rotation. The final spot now is a toss up, with David Peterson, Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, and Elieser Hernandez in the mix for that spot.
Quintana signed with the Mets this offseason on a two year, $26 million contract. That came on the heels of a revival in 2022 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals.
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