Rockies starting pitcher Jose Quintana shines in Team Colombia's loss to Puerto Rico

Jose Quintana was one of the few starting pitchers the Rockies signed this offseason to add much-needed depth to a rotation that struggled mightily last season.

They also brought him in to mentor younger pitchers, sharing insights from his veteran experience.

Colorado is hoping Quintana can generate groundball outs at one of baseball's toughest pitching environments in Coors Field. They also need him to eat innings after his solid 2025 campaign with the Brewers, where he posted a 3.96 ERA over 131.2 innings.

He showed a glimpse of what he can still offer Colorado, even at 37, earning the start in Team Colombia's first pool-play game Friday night against Puerto Rico.

The southpaw threw three scoreless innings without allowing a hit while walking one and striking out one.

Colombia may have pulled him too early after just 31 pitches. The reliever who replaced him, Adrian Almeida, surrendered five runs (three earned) over 1.1 innings while giving up four hits and striking out three.

Former friend and Rockies great Nolan Arenado also participated in this game, this time playing for Puerto Rico. The third baseman went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

Colombia failed to generate any offense as Puerto Rico's pitching staff shut them down. Led by starter Seth Lugo, Puerto Rico racked up nine strikeouts en route to a 5-0 victory.

News and notes about Rockies players competing in the World Baseball Classic

• Relievers Brennan Bernardino and Victor Vodnik combined for two scoreless innings in Mexico's 8-2 win over Great Britain, allowing just one hit while striking out two.

• Juan Mejia made an appearance for Team Dominican Republic, tossing one scoreless frame in their 12-3 victory over Nicaragua.

• Ezequiel Tovar didn't start for Team Venezuela in their 6-2 victory over the Netherlands, but entered late in the game as a defensive replacement.