Jose Quintana could return to Mets earlier than August, Buck Showalter says
Mets catcher Omar Narvaez talking with pitcher Jose Quintana during a spring training game against the Houston Astros, Tuesday Feb. 28, 2023 at Clover Field in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
The Mets are hoping they are getting healthy enough in their rotation to send five quality starters out there every turn.
Max Scherzer is back. Justin Verlander made his Mets Citi Field debut on Tuesday night. Carlos Carrasco (right elbow inflammation) has been penciled in to return from the injured list and start on Friday vs. Cleveland.
In a surprise, manager Buck Showalter said lefthander Jose Quintana might be returning sooner than expected. The initial estimate for Quintana’s first Mets start after he suffered a left rib fracture in spring training was August.
Showalter declined to state a new target date. But it sounds like it could be earlier than August.
The Mets signed Quintana to a two-year, $26-million deal in the offseason. Showalter said the new hoped-for date for his return “is a little earlier than we thought when he originally had the injury if everything fell perfectly. But we'll see. We'll be very cautious about getting there. Making sure that he can help us if we can get him back. He's been great. He's throwing — physically feels fine. It's been very encouraging.”
Quintana is getting what Showalter called “a huge” CT scan on Friday.
“We're hoping that shows what we’re hoping (because) then he's off and running,” Showalter said. “I don't forget about it, what he's capable of. He feels great. He's ahead of normal spring training, all the things he's done, throwing. He's been throwing a baseball up to 100-plus feet. So once we get the clearance, it'll start pretty quickly."
The Mets’ rotation woes have included David Peterson, who was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday after allowing six runs and nine hits in five innings on Monday in the Mets’ 10-3 loss to Washington. Peterson’s ERA is 8.08.
“Just like I told him today, it's good that I've seen him really good because if it was just on this year . . . ” Showalter said before letting the thought about how bad Peterson has looked this season trail out. “I mean, can you all imagine having something at your fingertips or disposal or whatever and you just can't get to it? It’s got to be really frustrating for him.”
The Mets called up lefthander Josh Walker, who was 2-0 with a 0.98 ERA in nine appearances for Triple-A Syracuse. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning on Tuesday night.
Extra bases
Catcher Omar Narvaez (left calf strain) could begin a minor-league rehab assignment next week, Showalter said . . . Righthander Jimmy Yacabonis (left quad strain) was assigned to Double-A Binghamton to begin his rehab assignment . . . Showalter said Long Island’s Stephen Ridings, who appeared in five games with the Yankees in 2021, is progressing slowly from the right lat strain that has sidelined him all season. “He gets close every time and then has a little setback,” Showalter said. The hard-throwing Ridings, 27, is a Commack native who went to St. Anthony’s.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
