When New York Mets pitcher Jose Quintana, who signed a deal to play in Queens this offseason, announced he was stepping down from his commitment to Team Colombia for the World Baseball Classic, people thought it was yet another case of a pitcher being overly cautious and opting to train for the season rather than spending time with the national team.
As it turned out, Quintana was seriously injured.
The talented lefty will undergo rib surgery on Friday and isn’t expected to return until July.
It’s a tough blow for the Mets’ rotation depth, but one that they should be able to overcome.
Quintana was seen by a tumor specialist after something was found, but it was determined through a biopsy that it was benign.
Bone graft surgery will be performed on Friday, with the pitcher missing the first half of the season.
His manager Buck Showalter said that he will make for a “good acquisition at the trade deadline.”
Buck Showalter on Quintana, who will miss at least the first 3 months of the season: “We’ve got a good acquisition at the trade deadline.”
—Mike Cougar (@NYPost_Mets) March 14, 2023
Through the years, MLB teams have grown fond of telling themselves that stars returning from injury can have the impact of a trade acquisition.
What they ignore is that the team suffers from his absence while he is gone.
Quintana managed to have a rock-solid season in 2022, making 32 starts and covering 165.2 innings.
He finished 6-7 with a 2.93 ERA and 137 strikeouts.
He shared time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals and even pitched in the postseason.
He has a long road ahead of him, but the Mets will give him as much time as he needs.
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