Mets manager Buck Showalter said Monday that Quintana (rib) is not a given to begin the season on the injured list, Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com reports.
Showalter's comments appear to be more of a case of him not knowing what the exact plan is yet with Quintana rather than him being confident the lefty can avoid an IL stint. One week ago, Quintana was diagnosed with a small stress fracture in the fifth rib on his left side, and the team has yet to map out a schedule for him while his imaging is viewed by multiple parties. More should be known about the veteran hurler's status later this week, but for now his outlook remains up in the air.