Veteran southpaw Jose Quintana will get the ball on Opening Day for the New York Mets, manager Carlos Mendoza announced on Wednesday.
“This is a guy that’s been in the league for a long time,” Mendoza said. “He’s one of those guys that competes, takes the ball, knows how to pitch, and we like how he’s bouncing back. The more he goes through his progression, the stronger he feels. We talked to him today and he was excited.”
Quintana is the 30th pitcher in franchise history to start on Opening Day, which is a responsibility that was expected to go to Kodai Senga given his successful rookie season last year. However, a shoulder strain has landed him on the injured list to start 2024.
He’s the first lefty to get an Opening Day start for the club since Jon Neise in 2013.
The 35-year-old will begin his second season with New York on March 28 at Citi Field when the Mets take on the Milwaukee Brewers.
Quintana’s first year in Queens was delayed by surgery to remove a lesion on his rib, forcing him to miss the first four months of the season. He made his 2023 season debut on July 20 and proceeded to go 3-6 with a 3.57 ERA, 60 strikeouts, and a 1.308 WHIP.
