Jose Quintana lit up in spring training debut for Mets
Mets catcher Omar Narvaez talks with pitcher Jose Quintana during a spring training game against the Houston Astros on Tuesday at Clover Field in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Jose Quintana’s Mets spring training debut Tuesday was a total mess.
He lasted just two-thirds of an inning, allowing five runs, four hits and a walk in an 8-4 exhibition loss to the Astros. Manager Buck Showalter pulled him at 30 pitches, then he threw another 15-20 in the bullpen, Quintana estimated.
The good news was it was only a spring training game — and his first, at that. The bad news was he has just one more appearance, which will come on Sunday, before joining Colombia for the World Baseball Classic.
“No good for sure,” said Quintana, who finished last season by allowing one run in 30 2/3 innings (postseason included). “The games gives to us an opportunity to see where we’re at.”
Where Quintana was at against Houston: feeling rushed because of the pitch clock, he said, and not executing/locating his pitches well. The Astros’ extensive hard contact included three doubles and a home run — an estimated 422 feet to straightaway center — from David Hensley.
“Too many mistakes,” Quintana said. “Ball right in the middle too many times and I paid for that.”
Showalter added, also citing the pitch clock as a factor: “It’s part of the process. He’ll get there.”
Robertson waiting
Righthander David Robertson, a key external bullpen addition, hasn’t appeared in a Grapefruit League game yet and probably won’t pitch in many over the next month. That is by design, according to him and manager Buck Showalter.
“He’s got a routine that he’s followed for a number of years, and we’re following it,” Showalter said. “You probably won’t see him as much as you normally do [other relievers]. He’s tried and tested. It works for him. We’re going to follow that.”
Robertson said: “I just don’t see a need to pitch in 15 games in spring training. It’s a waste of time. It’s too much time. We’re training.”
Guest of honor
The special guest at Mets camp Tuesday: Bear, a 13-month-old black Labrador retriever from K9s For Warriors who is named after “Polar Bear” Pete Alonso.
Alonso and his charity, The Alonso Foundation, are sponsoring Bear’s special training to become a service dog for a veteran in need. Seeking to prevent veteran suicide, K9s For Warriors provides highly trained service dogs to veterans suffering from mental health issues.
Bear, a black Labrador retriever in training to be a service dog for veterans, took a liking to Pete Alonso's batting gloves. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Bear seemed to enjoy being on the field and in the dugout — and all the attention that came with it — during the Mets’ workout. He took a liking to Alonso’s blue and orange batting gloves, turning them into a chew toy. Alonso let him keep them.
Bear is separate from but similar to Shea, a yellow Lab and a fellow service-dog-in-training sponsored by the Amazin' Mets Foundation in a partnership with America's Vet Dogs. Shea frequently appears at Citi Field and other Mets events.
Extra bases
Kodai Senga will make his Grapefruit League debut Sunday against the Cardinals. He had a 30-pitch, two-inning live batting practice outing against Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte and others on Tuesday . . . Astros infielder Will Wagner, the son of former Mets closer Billy Wagner, played the final several innings at third base. He finished 2022, his first full professional season, in Double-A . . . A Mets highlight against Houston: Francisco Lindor was 2-for-2 with a pair of scorched singles plus a walk. A lowlight: Daniel Vogelbach was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
