VARGAS SURGERY ALTERS ROTATION:
Mets’ plan to rush Vargas back seems like a wild pitch
PORT ST. LUCIE — Dust off the Five Aces posters from 2016 or ’17. The day may finally have arrived when the Mets’ five pitchers will be in the same rotation for at least one turn. With Jason Vargas having surgery to remove the hamate bone from his right (non-pitching) hand Tuesday, the rotation is shaping up for the first time to include the Big Five, as they were once called.
Zack Wheeler is slotting into Vargas’ spot for the final week of spring training and should be joining the other highlytouted, one-time top pitching prospects — Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz — in the rotation for the first time.
But Sandy Alderson wasn’t all that sentimental about the one-time Fab Five getting together. “Me personally, no,” Alderson said if it meant anything to see the one-time dream rotation together for the first time. “We’re past that. It’s about winning games and being competitive.”
The Mets GM said all winter that the key to being competitive in 2018 was the health of his rotation. In fact, that’s why Alderson signed Vargas last month as insurance against the injuries that have plagued theses five hard-throwing pitchers.
So, what’s the rush with Vargas?
Monday, the Mets were not ready to rule out Vargas for the start of the season, despite the fact that he will have surgery nine days before Opening Day. Even if the Mets put Vargas on the disabled list, they could get through the start of the season without a fifth starter and let him slot in on the second turn. “We haven’t determined that yet. Right now we’re trying to kind of evaluate what’s kind of going on and where he can pitch next,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “He threw a good bullpen this morning.” Well, he kind of threw a bullpen. Vargas threw the ball to the catcher Monday morning, but needed bullpen catcher Dave Racaniello standing next to him on the bullpen mound to catch the return throw and place the ball back in his hands. The Mets said Vargas will be able to resume his throwing program five days after surgery, which means he will still be able to stretch out.
“When you are talking about five days, you’re not going to lose arm strength, especially with a guy like Vargas, who is going to rely on command and it’s not going to be too hard to get his 84 (mph) again,” Callaway said with a laugh.
Vargas said he chose the surgery because it was the best option “to have a normal hand in six weeks.” He will have to be able to squeeze his glove to catch the ball and defend himself on the mound
“Regardless if I would have fixed it or not, I wouldn’t have been able to do the things that you have to do at the plate,” Vargas said.
“But being my glove hand, hopefully we can get moving a little bit quicker and know we’re not going to have any issues when I go to catch a ball or when I have an impact.”
Alderson said Monday that the hamate bone has also affected Vargas’ “motor nerves,” in his hand and he would not give a timetable for his return.
“It’s a matter of the pain subsiding and the motor function coming back,” Alderson said. “That’s just a matter of time.
He pitched today, I expect he will continue to pitch, then it really becomes a question of when the surgical wound has healed, the pain has subsided to some extent and his grip strength comes back sufficiently. He’ll be able to pitch. We’re optimistic, I am not here to make a prediction as to when it will happen.”
Other than the Mets needing Wheeler in the bullpen or the Mets being concerned that the five would pitch so well it would be hard to find a spot for Vargas, who they gave a two-year $16 million deal to, there is no reason that they shouldn’t be cautious.
And all the trials and tribulations of Wheeler, Harvey, Matz, Syndergaard and deGrom have been through since their names first came on the radar back in 2012 should be a reminder that patience is important. The Mets made the right move getting insurance for their rotation; now, they should use it.