Royals’ Jason Vargas to miss 3-4 weeks after undergoing appendectomy
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Vargas could be sidelined for 3-4 weeks after undergoing an appendectomy on Wednesday, reports Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star.
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The pitcher woke up at 4 a.m. with severe abdominal pain and was lucky to make it to the hospital without having his appendix burst. There were no complications from there, but it’s still going to keep Vargas sidelined long enough to make a trip to the disabled list worthwhile.
It’s disappointing news for the Royals, who had been enjoying a strong season from Vargas after signing him to a four-year, $32 million deal during the offseason. Over 125 innings in 2014, Vargas has a 3.31 ERA with 82 strikeouts and 29 walks, and his durability is one of his greatest assets.
Before this injury, Vargas was on pace to top 200 innings for the third time in four seasons, and for the first time with an ERA+ over 100 (which indicates being above-average).
McCullough says that Bruce Chen will replace Vargas in the rotation for now. That might seem like a terrible idea given his 7.11 ERA in 25.1 innings this season, but it’s worth noting his underlying numbers — 26 strikeouts, 10 walks, two home runs allowed — indicate he could rebound quickly.
Chen was also solid last season, posting a 3.27 ERA over 121 innings for Kansas City.
So while the Royals will surely miss Vargas, the team should be able to survive a few games without him. If Chen can’t handle things, left-handed youngster John Lamb — who currently pitched for Triple-A Omaha — could be another option to grab some starts, according to McCullough.