Why Jose Quintana's injury should be worrisome for Mets

Cracks are showing for the Mets -- figuratively and literally.

Nearly a month into spring training, New York starting pitcher José Quintana is sidelined with a stress fracture in his rib. There is no timetable for his return, according to ESPN. Per the New York Post, he could miss the start of the season.

Most teams expect to lose a pitcher or two for a few weeks a year, but the Mets losing one this early should be worrisome for a team that came into the season with so much hype.

The Mets and owner Steve Cohen went on a spending spree in free agency, snatching up some of the bigger names in the market. That included Quintana, who signed a two-year, $26 million deal, and future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander, who signed a two-year, $86.7 million deal.

The Mets are built around a starting rotation that few others can rival and a loaded lineup. 

Signing free agents is always a risky proposition, especially with older pitchers. Players don’t hit free agency until they have some tread on the tires. That potentially puts them at an increased risk of injury.

Quintana is 34. Verlander is 40, and while he has made every start the past two years, he had Tommy John surgery in 2020 and is pitching at an age when few continue to dominate the sport. Fellow ace Max Scherzer, 38, missed time last season with an injury and made only 23 starts.

Starting pitcher Kodai Senga is 30 and making the transition from Japanese ball to the majors. Carlos Carrasco made 30 starts last year, going 15-7 with a 3.97 ERA in 2022, but was only 1-5 with a 6.04 ERA the season before.

David Peterson, the next starter on the depth chart, has never started 30 games in his three-year career.

Last year, the Mets won 101 games but slumped late and lost in the playoffs to the Padres in three games. Part of the reason for their late-season struggles was injuries to the starting rotation.

If that situation repeats itself, it won’t matter how much Cohen spent in the offseason.