Mets name Quintana Opening Day starter
PORT ST. LUCIE — In a perfect scenario for the Mets, it would have been Kodai Senga aligning his spring schedule to make the Opening Day start at Citi Field.
After a right shoulder strain paused his spring, though, they needed to settle on a new starter. And that, Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday, will be Jose Quintana.
It had emerged as the likely decision, given Quintana’s sharp spring that included four scoreless innings Tuesday and the reality of the Mets’ pitching outlook. His ERA dropped to 2.08 through his three outings, and he worked through command issues from earlier outings and regulated his tempo to discover an early season rhythm. So for the first time since 2017, when he was with the White Sox, the left-hander earned the honor to start the season’s first game.
“That’s special for me to be Opening Day starter,” Quintana said. “I understand we have a great rotation, so one of those guys can be Opening Day starter, too. … It’s an honor for me so they give me the ball first day.”
Quintana described it as a “special” honor, and the 35-year-old was excited when Mendoza told him the news, the manager said. The pair have a connection that dates back to Quintana’s minor league days with the Yankees — when “nobody knew who he was,” Mendoza said. He ended up making his MLB debut with the White Sox and bouncing around to various teams before signing a two-year deal with the Mets ahead of 2022.
When Quintana inked that deal, he was supposed to take a complementary role in the rotation. The Mets had Max Scherzer. They had Justin Verlander. Senga was an intriguing addition, too.
Quintana’s 2023 debut, though, was delayed due to a rib injury. His return to pitching remained unknown at this time last year. Quintana ended up making 13 starts and compiled a 3.57 ERA, and this year, with Scherzer and Verlander both gone, Quintana will inherit one of the rotation’s pivotal roles alongside Senga — when he returns — and Luis Severino.
“He’s one of those guys that competes, takes the ball, knows how to pitch, and we like how he’s bouncing back,” Mendoza said after making his first decision as manager on an Opening Day starter. “We feel like the more that he goes through his progression, the stronger he feels.”