Holmes starts things off

Morning Dose: Thursday, February 20

☀️ Good Morning:

I’m going to jump right into the rundown today.

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◼️ Clay Holmes will get the ball for the Mets’ Grapefruit League opener on Saturday. He is expected to throw 40-45 pitches. Holmes arrived to camp more than a month ago to get himself ready for his first season as a starter instead of a reliever. “I feel like I’m in a great spot right now, in a good position to really get the experience and be able to stretch out,” Holmes said Wednesday. There are still standing room tickets available for fans in the area.

◼️ Matt Allan is finally healthy again. The former top pitching prospect arrives to camp with less fanfare after multiple surgeries sidelined his career, but at only 23 years old, he still has plenty of time to build a successful career. “I feel honestly like I’m the best version of myself that I’ve ever been,” Allan said. “My stuff is better than it’s ever been. My velo is better than it’s been to this point. My curveball, cutter, everything, changeup is much better than it’s ever been. It’s a little bit of that silent work that you don’t really see when you’re in rehab.”

• Read more: Mets’ Matt Allan, forgotten pitching prospect, finally healthy and returning to games, by Tim Healey, Newsday ($)

◼️ Is there mutual interest between Jose Quintana and the Mets? While the Mets prioritized other starters this offseason, Quintana has kept his hopes up that he could end up back in New York. With Frankie Montas shutdown for 6-to-8 weeks, it might have opened the door for a reunion. The two sides have been “talking,” according to Pat Ragazzo, but it’s unclear how serious those talks might be.

• Options: David Stearns might prefer to wait and try to get by using the depth he already has in house. It’s only February 20, so who knows if another injury warrants a different response. But as the roster stands today, bringing in Quintana would mean one of Paul Blackburn or Griffin Canning would probably have to be sacrificed since they are out of minor-league options.

◼️ Frankie Montas is “feeling good” after PRP shot. The injection is a first step towards his recovery that includes a 4-to-6 week timeframe when he won’t be throwing.