Mets can’t rush Jacob
and three walks in two innings of relief, has already been demoted out of the rotation into the bullpen.
Vargas was signed to a two-year deal to give the Mets a reliable, consistent veteran in an often inconsistent rotation and insurance for an injury-prone staff over the past two years. Ironically, Vargas began the season on the disabled list after a freak accident where he broke a bone in his glove hand.
And once he returned, he just has not been effective.
He gave up an RBI single to Nick Markakis and a solo home run to Kurt Suzuki. The 35-year-old lefthander worked around baserunners in the next three innings, but got jumped on in the fifth. Ronald Acuna, Jr. led off with a monster, 451-foot laser of a home run into the second deck of left field. He walked Freddie Freeman and gave up a two-run home run to Markakis. Vargas struck out Johan Camargo and Charlie Culberson, but a single by Teheran ended his day after just 4.2 innings. Callaway was encouraged by what he saw. “He threw much better. The three runs in the first inning were just two really bad pitches, 0-2 hung an 0-2 curveball and threw a changeup that leaked out over the middle,” Callaway said. “I think we saw a little of the real Vargas in the middle innings there.”
In two starts, Vargas has allowed 15 earned runs over 8.1 innings pitched for a 16.20 ERA, and he didn’t see the progress Callaway talked about.
“I definitely don’t,” Vargas said. “The outcome is definitely a similar feeling as the previous one, just because you weren’t able to let the team compete in the early part of the game. Just not making pitches with two strikes, especially in that first inning, letting them get a jump on us real early in the game.” argas may be battling through mechanical issues or simple rust after missing so much time, and maybe he will eventually emerge as the leader of the staff the Mets wanted when they signed him. But Thursday was a reminder how important deGrom is to this team and that the Mets should be extra protective of him.
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