The New York Mets are reportedly planning to shut down SP Jose Quintana for three months due to a stress fracture, per the New York Post's Mike Puma. Quintana, a free agent acquisition this past offseason, was forced to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic due to injury. However, it was unclear how much time Quintana was expected to miss. But this three-month timetable update at least allows New York to find a replacement in spring training.

Fortunately for New York, they have a number of potential in-house candidates who can step up and join the rotation. Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and Carlos Carrasco are already set to pitch in the rotation. David Peterson and Tylor Megill will now have an opportunity to battle for the fifth spot on the starting pitching staff.

The Mets expect to compete not just for an NL East title this season, but for a World Series championship. As all teams are well-aware of, pitching depth is crucial to winning. If Jose Quintana can return during the middle of the season and perform well, he will add pivotal depth to the Mets' pitching staff.

This Quintana injury update is obviously far from ideal. However, there's still a chance that he is able to contribute in a high-profile manner down the stretch.

UPDATE: Andy Martino shared an interesting update on Jose Quintana, reporting that the three-month shut down is just one option.

“What I’m told on Mets’ Jose Quintana: Today Mets still gathering info on his timeline, and will know within a few days how long to shut him down. Front office was talking to one of the docs a few minutes ago. There are a few options on the table, 3 month shutdown is one of them,” Martino wrote on Twitter.

There may still be uncertainty as to how much time Quintana will miss based on this report.

We will continue to monitor and provide updates on the Mets as they are made available.