It was a warning that made the New York Mets nervous. It was also a ‘thunderbolt’ that shook the basic plan of the Colombia national team, which was about to participate in the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
The Mets held an exhibition game against St. Louis at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida on the 6th, and left-handed starter Jose Quintana (34), who started the mound that day, felt stiff in his side and gave up after one inning.
Quintana wore a Mets uniform last winter for a total of $26 million (about 33.7 billion won) over two years. Stable performance was expected as a veteran starting resource with an average ERA of 3.75 of 89 wins and 87 losses over 11 years in the big leagues.
However, due to the signs of injury that day, it is difficult to calculate the future schedule. According to New York’s ‘Daily News’ on the same day, Quintana was scheduled to join the WBC Colombia national team immediately after starting against St. Louis, but as the schedule for detailed examinations such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) was set on the 7th, joining the national team itself became unclear. If he has not been able to play all the actual matches due to symptoms of abnormalities in his side, it seems realistically difficult to be on the mound for the national team. 메이저놀이터
Colombia is a promised country in the WBC. There is no choice but to be highly dependent on a proven pitcher in the major leagues like Quintana. Quintana had a history of fighting against the US with 5.2 innings and 1 run in the 2017 WBC match, so expectations were high as the ace of the Colombian national team in this tournament. There is Laver San Martin (Cincinnati) as a major leaguer, but he is still weak, and only Hasier Herrera, who plays for Seibu in the Nippon Professional Baseball, stands out. Most pitchers play in the minor leagues or in other leagues.
Most of the fielders are also minor leaguers, and major league third baseman Geo Ursela (LA Angels) with 62 home runs stands out, but big leaguers such as Harold Ramirez (Tampa Bay) and Jordan Diaz (Oakland) are also names that have not yet established themselves in their team.
Colombia is in Group C with the United States, Mexico, Canada and Great Britain. While advancing to the quarterfinals seems virtually difficult, Quintana is shaken by an injury and even a small hope is flying away. While the WBC strong players such as the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Japan are about to compete for the title, the lesser WBC countries are also struggling on the other side.