Veteran José Quintana Reportedly Projected to Be New York Mets' Opening Day Starter

With Kodai Senga still sidelined due to a shoulder injury, former All-Star left-hander José Quintana is in line to start for the New York Mets on Opening Day.

Left-hander José Quintana is currently in line to serve as the New York Mets' Opening Day starting pitcher, The Athletic's Tim Britton reported Monday.

Kodai Senga was expected to be the Mets' No. 1 starter this season, but he suffered a right shoulder strain in February and has been shut down for the next few weeks. Without Senga, Britton projects New York's five-man rotation to consist of Quintana, Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Adrian Houser and Tylor Megill.

Severino, Manaea and Houser are all newcomers to the Mets this season, while Megill made 25 big league appearances for New York in 2023 and was actually the team's Opening Day starter in 2022.

The Mets signed Quintana to a two-year, $26 million deal in the 2023 offseason, although he didn't make his debut until July after undergoing hip surgery in Spring Training. When he did finally join the rotation, Quintana went 3-6 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.308 WHIP and 1.6 WAR in 13 starts down the stretch.

Quintana has enjoyed a healthy Spring Training so far this year, although he allowed two earned runs and three walks in his first Grapefruit League appearance on Feb. 29. Still, the Colombian veteran is the leader in the clubhouse for the top spot in New York's rotation entering 2024, and he is understandably excited about the prospect.

“It would be an honor. It’s a dream for any starting pitcher,” Quintana said, per Britton. “Big crowd, a lot of energy. It’s a gift.”

Quintana, now 35 years old, last started on Opening Day as a member of the Chicago White Sox in 2017.

The southpaw spent the first six seasons of his MLB career with the White Sox, then suited up for the Chicago Cubs for the next four. In the two years before he signed with the Mets, Quintana pitched for four teams – the Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals.

For his career, Quintana is 92-93 with a 3.74 ERA, 1.279 WHIP, 1,592 strikeouts and a 28.0 WAR. He made one All-Star appearance back in 2016, when he also placed 10th in AL Cy Young voting.

Quintana will be the 30th different Opening Day starter in Mets history, dating back to 1962. Last year's No. 1 starter, Max Scherzer, got dealt to the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline, joining New York's three-time Opening Day starter, Jacob deGrom, in Arlington.

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