The All-Star break is over and, when the second half begins Friday night, the New York Mets will be a little closer to full strength. Lefty José Quintana is set to be activated off the injured list after completing his 30-day minor-league rehab stint. Quintana had surgery to treat a lesion on his ribs in March and has yet to pitch this season.
"I can't wait man, I'm so excited," Quintana told MLB.com about coming off the injured list.
Quintana expects to make his Mets debut next week against the Chicago White Sox, his former team, he said Friday. Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga are scheduled to start Friday and Saturday, respectively, with Max Scherzer likely to start Sunday. Quintana will take the rotation spot most recently occupied by David Peterson. Peterson and Tylor Megill have combined for a 5.73 ERA in 26 starts this season.
Quintana's return marks the first time New York's rotation will be whole this season. Verlander missed the start of the season with a teres muscle injury, Carlos Carrasco missed a month with elbow trouble, and Scherzer has had multiple starts pushed back due to a nagging back issue. Senga, an All-Star, has not missed a start, though he often pitches with extra rest.
The Mets signed Quintana to a two-year, $26 million contract over the winter. He split last season between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, throwing 165 2/3 innings with a 2.93 ERA. It was his best and healthiest season since his heyday with the White Sox in the mid-2010s.
Pitchers can spend up to 30 days on a minor-league rehab assignment and Quintana began his on June 13, so he must be activated Friday. In five rehab starts he allowed 10 runs in 15 2/3 innings, and in his most recent start he got stretched out to 4 1/3 innings and 79 pitches.
The Mets come out of the All-Star break at 42-48 and seven games out of a postseason berth. There's a chance they could sell at the deadline, and, even after the injury, there could be interest in Quintana given the lack of quality pitching available this time of year.
New York begins the second half at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.
