Vargas to make first start as full-fledged member of KC rotation
Last September, Jason Vargas dipped his toe in the water. On Friday night in Houston, he will dive into the pool.
Vargas made three starts for the Royals last season, his first following Tommy John surgery in 2015. He produced a 2.25 ERA over 12 innings after his return Sept. 17, offering encouragement that he could rejoin the Kansas City rotation this season. The left-hander had produced a 3.71 ERA in 30 starts in 2014 before going 5-2 with a 3.98 ERA in nine starts prior to being shut down in 2015.
Vargas worked a team-high 23 1/3 innings in spring training while posting a 3.84 ERA. He enters this season as the Royals' No. 4 starter.
The Royals are looking for a solid debut from Vargas after being swept at Minnesota. The starting pitching really wasn't the problem; Danny Duffy was terrific in the season opener and Ian Kennedy and Jason Hammel were mostly solid in the next two games.
The main concern was a bullpen that allowed 14 runs over the three games, all in the seventh inning.
The Royals rode their bullpen to a World Series championship in 2015, but a transition was expected following the trade of right-hander Wade Davis to the Cubs and the departure of Luke Hochevar (unsigned). Kelvin Herrera, now the closer, remains from the original iteration that dominated two seasons ago, but the reconstructed bullpen has yet to find its rhythm.
"We'll get that sorted out," Royals manager Ned Yost said after the Royals fell to 0-3 in a 5-3 loss to the Twins on Thursday. "They just got to get settled in. We didn't have this problem in spring training. It'll iron itself out."
Vargas will face right-hander Mike Fiers, who was 11-8 with a 4.48 ERA in 2016. Fiers claimed a spot in the Houston rotation when right-hander Collin McHugh landed on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis, and he is the most likely candidate to join the bullpen as the long reliever whenever McHugh returns.
It will be interesting to see where Astros utilityman Marwin Gonzalez fits in the lineup. He made his first start of the season at first base Tuesday, then got the nod at third base Thursday. At some point in this weekend's three-game series, Gonzalez will likely earn another start at a third position, most likely left field.
Last season, his positional versatility was on full display as Gonzalez made starts at five positions for Houston. He had 310 plate appearances as a first baseman, 69 as a third baseman, 54 as a left fielder, 39 as second baseman and 32 as a shortstop.
Houston features core players at second base (Jose Altuve), third base (Alex Bregman) and shortstop (Carlos Correa), and intends to give Yulieski Gurriel ample starts at first base. That doesn't mean Gonzalez, who went 1-for-3 with a home run in a 4-2 loss to Seattle on Thursday, will get short shrift. Gonzalez, fourth on the club with 518 plate appearances in 2016 despite being a bench player, is too valuable.
"Marwin is going to spell a lot of these guys very often to where he probably feels like he's virtually an everyday player even though he may not be at the same position," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Bregman is the first of this. It will happen to Altuve; it will happen to Correa. Gurriel has already sat.
"We've talked a lot about the number of position players that I have at my discretion. I'm going to use them."
