Jose Quintana has rib injury, returning to New York for further imaging

Jose Quintana, after being removed from a game on Sunday with left-side tightness, has been diagnosed with a ‘small stress fracture’ in the fifth rib of his left side, according to multiple reports. Having already been pulled from the World Baseball Classic, Quintana will travel to New York for further imaging.

While the severity of the injury is not yet known, this is not a good sign for the left-handed starter who was signed to a two year, $26 million contract this off-season. According to SportsMD.com:

The time for healing may vary significantly between athletes and must be individualized and discussed with the athlete’s physician. If the stress fracture is not visible on x-rays, the athlete might return to full sports participation in 8-12 weeks. If the stress fracture has become a complete fracture, it may take 6-12 months.

While there is still so much unknown about the injury, it can be easy to automatically jump to the worst scenario. However, even if the injury is minor and Quintana only has to miss eight weeks, the Mets will still need a starter for at least the first month of the season. David Peterson (who is dealing with his own injury), Tylor Megill, and Joey Lucchesi would seemingly be among the first to get the call.