Phillies pitcher Jason Vargas ready to face his former teammates on New York Mets
It was only about a month ago that Vargas was pitching for the Mets before being acquired by the Phillies.
Phillies left-hander Jason Vargas isn’t getting sentimental about pitching against his most recent team, the New York Mets, in Saturday’s 4:05 p.m. game at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies acquired Vargas from the Mets on July 29 for double-A catcher Austin Bossart. In his first five starts with the Phillies, he is 0-1 with a 4.34 ERA.
This will be the first time Vargas will have faced the Mets since the trade.
“It won’t be any different in the fact that I have to do the same things to be effective," Vargas said before Friday’s game against the Mets, "but I guess it will be different in the fact that I was on that team four weeks ago and I know a lot of those guys.”
The Phillies are the sixth team that the 36-year-old Vargas has pitched for, including two stints with the Mets.
“It’s not the first time I had to pitch against an old team but the first time I had to do it so soon,” Vargas said. “They are a division rival and we need to beat them, that is the only difference now.”
No solo traveler
The Phillies have a difficult turnaround, hosting the Mets in a Sunday night ESPN game at 7:05 and then visiting the Cincinnati Reds in a 2:10 p.m. Labor Day game Monday.
“I am not going to say it doesn’t [stink], it [stinks],” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said before Friday’s game. “We will finish two games in less than 24 hours.”
Sunday’s game was originally scheduled for a 1:05 p.m. start. A Phillies team official said the time was changed at the end of May to accommodate ESPN.
The person most burdened is left-hander Drew Smyly, who will be Monday’s starter. Kapler said that he gave Smyly the option to fly ahead of the team on Sunday.
Smyly said before Friday’s game that he turned down that offer and will fly with the team.
“I felt the whole team is playing Sunday night, trying to get a win, and they are going to be ready the next day Monday, so why should I leave early, is the way I looked at it,” Smyly said.
“I have traveled early before [in a similar situation] and ... it kind of stinks,” Smyly said.
Smyly, signed with the Phillies on July 19, one day after he opted out of his minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA in seven starts with the Phillies.
“I didn’t want to go early and be in a hotel room while these guys are grinding on the field,” he said. “I will try to get as much rest on the flight and be ready for Monday.”
Bruce to play rehab games
Outfielder Jay Bruce, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left flexor strain on Aug. 9, is scheduled to play two rehab games Friday and Saturday for double-A Reading at Trenton, according to Kapler.
“He will let me know after the game [how he feels], but our expectation is Sept. 1 he is ready to go off the bench for us,” Kapler said.
The Phillies manager said that Bruce is unable to play the field yet.
“His throwing arm, his elbow, won’t be ready to play defense, so he will only be a bat off the bench until probably mid-September,” Kapler said.
Bruce, who was acquired from Seattle on June 2, has had two stints on the IL with the Phillies, having been on earlier for an oblique strain. With the Phillies he is hitting .250 with 10 home runs, 29 RBIs and an .816 OPS in 124 plate appearances.