New York Mets’ starting pitcher Jason Vargas has opted to undergo surgery on his non-throwing hand this Tuesday, MetsBlog.com reports. Vargas, who suffered a broken hamate bone after getting struck by a line drive in a minor league game, will be shut down for five days before resuming throwing programs. The typical timetable for this surgery is 2-4 weeks, so there is an outside chance that Vargas will be able to return within the first few weeks of the season.
The Mets will almost certainly place Vargas on the disabled list to start the season, but how they date the stint will be based on how he looks in a week. If it looks like Vargas can return quickly, the Mets may opt to carry four starters and carry an extra bench player in the first week of the season. The more likely scenario is that Vargas will be allowed to work his way back at a cautious pace, allowing both Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz to make the Opening Day rotation. This would ensure, barring injury, the first time that the Mets’ vaunted rotation (of Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Matz, and Wheeler) will complete a full turn.
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