Jose Quintana is ready to start his second spring training.
The veteran Mets left-hander was cleared Friday to accelerate his workouts and begin a buildup toward his debut with the team, following March bone-graft surgery necessitated by a rib fracture.
“I was excited for the scan, showing everything great this morning and I am happy with the results,” Quintana said before the Mets’ 10-9 win in 10 innings over the Guardians at Citi Field.
Team officials previously said Quintana wouldn’t return before July 1.
But based on the timeline of a buildup similar to spring training, he could be in position to join the rotation early in July.
The Mets signed Quintana to a two-year contract worth $26 million last winter, but he made just two appearances in spring training before the stress fracture was diagnosed.
A lesion that doctors found to be benign was also detected on the rib.
To improve his chances for full healing, Quintana opted for the bone-graft surgery.
Quintana, according to manager Buck Showalter, is on the timeline the Mets plotted out as a best-case scenario.
“The challenge for us is not getting [anxious],” Showalter said. “Sometimes the need gets in the way of doing what’s right and we’re going to try to do what’s right.”
The Mets’ rotation has been besieged by injuries, but is slowly getting healthy.
On Friday, Carlos Carrasco returned from the injured list for his first start in over a month.
The veteran right-hander, who received a cortisone shot in April, had been rehabbing from elbow swelling caused by a bone chip.
Justin Verlander has started three games since returning from the strained teres major muscle that caused him to miss the first five weeks of the season.
Also, Max Scherzer said after his last start that there has been recent improvement in his back after he has dealt with early season discomfort.
Scherzer missed a start on the Mets’ last road trip with neck spasms, but returned with five solid innings against the Nationals on Sunday.
He is scheduled to start again Saturday.
Quintana, 34, started 32 games for the Pirates and Cardinals last season, finishing 6-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 165 ²/₃ innings pitched.
He struck out 137 and walked 47 over that stretch.
He plans to get on a mound Saturday for a light bullpen session.
Showalter said Quintana is probably “a little ahead” of where most pitchers are when they arrive at spring training.
“His arm has been moving and his legs, everything that some people do peripherally in spring training, he’s been doing all that,” Showalter said. “So when he gets to the mound and gets in a [rehab] game it should move fairly quickly.”