LOST VARGAS!

Jason puts struggles behind him vs. lowly Fish

One of the Mets’ most prominent celebrity fans once scripted a character named Vargas into the classic “Bizarro World” episode of his hit sitcom about nothing.

Nothing, of course, largely is what the Mets had received through Sunday on their $16 million investment on free-agent pickup Jason Vargas, who similarly had to be feeling as if he’d been existing in some sort of alternate universe through his first couple of months with his new team.

A season-opening DL stint, followed by three starts without completing five full innings in any of them, with zero wins and an ERA north of 13.00, had earned the 2017 All-Star lefty a brief banishment into rotation purgatory.

Vargas returned to the Mets’ starting five after being skipped for one turn in Monday night’s clean 2-0 victory over Derek Jeter’s last-place Marlins as a new man, allowing two hits over five scoreless frames, while whiffing seven and restoring a chunk of the faith the organization had thrust upon him with a springtraining signing.

“That was much more Vargaslike,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said after the game. “I’ve obviously been watching him for quite some time and that’s what I remembered…and I’m sure he can maintain that. He has for a long period of time and I’m sure he can get back to it.”

Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler also had been challenged publicly by Callaway to pick it up and do their share on the days Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard don’t pitch, but a distinct turnaround by Vargas might be most important to the Mets’ fortunes this summer considering what his acquisition meant as a proven innings eater coming off an 18-win campaign.

“That’s exactly what we need. That’s the reason we signed him, because we felt like we’re going to know what we get with him,” Callaway added. “He’s gonna go out and throw strikes and compete @GoldenKnights and keep you in the game, even if it’s just for five innings. That’s the reason we signed him, so we really need him to do that.”

The gutted Marlins have scored the fewest runs in baseball, averaging 3.4 per game, and Vargas throttled them by relying heavily on his changeup, mixing speeds effectively and living consistently on the outer edges of the strike zone.

The Mets had taken advantage of two off-days last week to skip Vargas in the rotation, enabling him to fine-tune his stuff with pitching coach Dave Eiland – who also was his pitching coach in Kansas City – and imported catcher Devin Mesoraco. The 35-year-old lefty had been rocked for 19 earned runs in 12.1 innings over his first three starts after recovering from a latespring injury to his non-pitching hand.

Vargas also had been tagged for nine earned runs (a 27.00 ERA) in the first inning of his three outings, but he retired the first nine batters he faced on Monday, striking out four, before Martin Prado’s single to left to open the fourth.

“It was a good night, I had a good rhythm going,” Vargas said. “I was definitely anxious to get back out there. When you get skipped or get pushed back, it just means that you’re not doing your job. So you want to get back out there and you want to be able to get back up on the horse and not prolong the thoughts you’re already having.

“Fortunately enough, it worked out for us, that we had those rain games, and it just made for a pretty easy decision. I definitely tried to take advantage of that time in-between.”

With Matt Harvey shifted to the pen and then traded earlier in the month to Cincinnati, you’d have to believe the Mets would consider making another rotational switch without a significant turnaround from Vargas, especially with Matz and Wheeler still also largely providing uneven performances. ormer starters Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman have thrived in bullpen roles, combining for a 5-0 record and a 2.34 ERA. While deGrom and Syndergaard had aggregated an 8-1 mark (2.37), the team’s other starters had been 3-11 with a 6.37 collective ERA through Sunday’s seriessweeping win over Arizona.

Vargas had contributed mightily to that alternate statistical universe, until finally beginning to restore his standing in this world and his place once again in the rotation.

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