Horrid Vargas to get skipped
PHILADELPHIA — Jason Vargas will be skipped from his next scheduled to try to figure out why he has been so bad in his first three starts with the Mets this season.
The veteran lefthander has allowed 19 earned runs in 12.1 innings pitched over three starts.
“You got to look yourself in the mirror and understand the job wasn’t getting done,” Vargas said before Friday’s series opener against the Phillies. “I have the opportunity to work on a few things and getting some reps in you wouldn’t normally be able to get in. I understand, totally got it, I need to be able to go out there and help the team win and those past three starts haven’t been it.”
With off days on Monday and Thursday next week, the Mets can skip Vargas and keep the rest of their rotation on regular rest. Vargas said his understanding is that he will only be skipped for one turn through the rotation.
Instead of starting against the Blue Jays Tuesday, Vargas will pitch a simulated game.
“We’re going to make sure we do everything we can to get him in the right spot to go out there and compete the way he wants to,” Callaway said. “Make sure he can work on the things he wants to. If he makes a bad pitch he can set up the sim game like he wants to. Plug him back in the rotation when we need a fifth starter.”
Vargas began the season on the disabled list after surgery to remove the hamate bone in his right (glove) hand. The 35-year-old fractured the bone in spring training. Since he could throw, but not use his glove to field or protect himself, the Mets had him pitch simulated games during his rehab and he pitched just one minor league rehab game, which Callaway admitted was a mistake.
“In retrospect (more rehab games) probably would’ve helped had we been going good and had the opportunity to do that we probably would’ve have,” Callaway said.
CESPEDES 85%
Yoenis Cespedes, who is nursing a balky right quad, walked gingerly off the field at Citizens Bank Park in the middle of the eighth inning. Don’t worry, after going 1-for4 in Friday night’s 3-1 win over the Phillies, Cespedes was just taken out for defense. He will likely be back in there on Saturday night.
The Mets are walking a fine line between keeping him healthy and keeping him in the lineup.
“He’s still not 100 percent. We need his bat in the lineup. He’s more than willing to go out there and play at probably 85 percent right now which is the way it needs to be,” Callaway said. “I think that running a ball down in the gap or legging out a double or triple could be a little difficult for him but at this time we feel that it’s a bit necessary for the offensive side of things.”
After spending the offseason revamping their medical staff, this is a tough test for the Mets. With Jay Bruce out for this series on paternity leave and the offense scrambling to score runs, the front office is on board with the decision.
“As you saw, we put Todd (Frazier) on the DL the other day. Put Jacob (deGrom) on a few days before that. In the case of Yo, a lot of conversations with him. We just gave him a day off into the off day. We’re managing it, they don’t feel it’s an issue that warrants a DL,” Mets assistant GM John Ricco said.
ROSTER MOVES
First base prospect Dominic Smith was recalled to give the Mets a bat off the bench with Bruce on paternity leave. Smith did not impress after getting called up last season and got off to a bad start this spring, getting benched after showing up late for a meeting and then getting hurt in the second game of the spring. … Hansel Robles was placed on the disabled list with a sprained right knee. The Mets called up Buddy Baumann to replace him in the bullpen. Catcher Kevin Plawecki left for Port St. Lucie Friday night to amp up his baseball activities.
He has been out since April 12 with a hairline fracture in his left hand.