Vargas back, but not ready
MIAMI — Jason Vargas was back in the Mets clubhouse Monday, but the lefthander is not here to prepare for a major league start. The veteran rejoined the team before its series-opener against the Marlins, but he is still nearly two weeks away from being able to make his season debut.
“He’s gonna throw another ‘game,’ probably with a protective screen,” said Mickey Callaway, adding it would likely be on Thursday.
“We’re just going to keep him on that normal five days,” Callaway said.
If the Mets stick to the plan to have him pitch in an actual minor league rehab game, then the earliest they can have him in their major league rotation is April 22. Callaway had indicated they would “probably” want Vargas to do that.
The Mets want Vargas to pitch without a protective screen in front of him and in a situation in which he would have to field balls before he returns, which means it could be even longer before the Mets get to see one of their biggest off-season signings pitch.
The Mets were noncommittal about how much longer they were preparing to be without Vargas. Zack Wheeler was flying in from Las Vegas Monday afternoon to make the start in what would be Vargas’ spot in the rotation on Wednesday. Callaway said that they would wait and see how Wheeler pitches Wednesday before they made any long-term decisions.
Vargas fractured the hamate bone in his right (glove) hand last month in a spring training minor league game when he took a line drive off it. He had surgery to remove the bone from his hand and is just regaining enough use of the hand to use his glove.
Ironically, the Mets signed the 35-year old Vargas as insurance against all the injuries their rotation has suffered in the past.
CESPEDES CLEARING UP
Yoenis Cespedes had played in the cold weather in Washington with fever and flu-like symptoms, so the Mets slugger was not going to let a stuffy nose stop him from playing in Miami. The difference in temperature between first pitch Sunday (47 degrees) and Monday was 39 degrees.
“I am getting better,” Cespedes said Monday before heading into the batting cages. But clearly, the left fielder wasn’t 100%. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the Mets’ 4-2 win over the Marlins. He is 2-for-19 on this road trip, albeit one of those hits was a game-winner over the Nationals in extra-innings Sunday night.
But after a 12-inning game in the cold Sunday night and a 5:30 a.m. arrival in Miami on Monday, Callaway made sure to check in with Cespedes and the rest of his players before putting together the lineup. Every single one of his regulars wanted in.
“It takes it out of you,” Callaway said of the schedule and change in weather. “You are playing extra innings, you win a game, you are on this big high, everybody on the plane is in a good mood instead of relaxing and resting. We tried to push everything back, field a few ground balls, just hit in the cages. They did a good job coming out and getting us a win.”