Quintana struggled in his first spring start Tuesday, and the culprit may have been the pitch clock, Abbey Mastracco of The New York Daily News reports.
The veteran southpaw lasted only two-thirds of an innings against the Astros, giving up five runs on four hits and a walk, and he needed to get a little bullpen work in after leaving the game just to reach his assigned workload. Quintana didn't seem comfortable on the mound with the faster pace forced by MLB's new pitch clock, and given that he'll be pitching for Colombia in the WBC -- the clock won't be used during the tournament -- he may not have a lot of time to adjust to the new rules before Opening Day. After posting a career-best season in 2022 at the age of 33, Quintana appears to have an extra obstacle to overcome if he wants to avoid serious regression.