Vargas is expected to be activated from the 10-day disabled list Saturday to start the Mets' game in San Diego against the Padres, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Team doctors gave Vargas the green light to make a rehab start Monday at Triple-A Las Vegas, which represented the final hurdle the lefty needed to clear before returning from the DL. Though Vargas wasn't especially impressive Monday -- he needed 66 pitches (42 strikes) to get through four innings and gave up three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four -- pitching in Las Vegas is rarely a picnic for even the most seasoned of hurlers. More importantly, Vargas escaped the outing with no reported issues with his surgically repaired non-throwing hand, so he'll presumably be in line to fill the spot in the Mets rotation vacated by Matt Harvey, who was banished to the bullpen following a rough start April 19.

Mets manager Mickey Callaway suggested that Vargas (hand) would likely be activated from the 10-day disabled list to start either Saturday or Sunday against the Padres in San Diego, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vargas' starting assignment with the big club is contingent on him coming out of a rehab outing Monday at Triple-A Las Vegas with no renewed soreness in his surgically repaired right hand. The southpaw is scheduled to throw around 75 pitches Monday, which would put him in line to enter the upcoming weekend without any restrictions. The Mets have already cleared a spot in the rotation by demoting Matt Harvey to the bullpen, so it seems more likely that Vargas would take the hill Saturday rather than Sunday. If the Mets waited until Sunday to use Vargas, the big club would have to add a sixth starter to the mix temporarily.

Vargas (hand) will see a doctor Saturay to get medical clearance before his rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday, Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Assuming he gets a clean bill of health, that lines the left-hander up for a 2018 season debut in San Diego the following Saturday. The Mets haven't yet decided whether to use a six-man rotation once Vargas comes off the disabled list, send Zack Wheeler down to Triple-A to make room for him, or bump the struggling Matt Harvey from the rotation until he gets straightened out, but Monday's off day would allow them to keep everyone else on schedule no matter what route they take.

The Mets could employ a six-man rotation when Vargas (hand) returns from the disabled list, Tim Britton of The Athletic New York reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Mets have five starters currently performing decently well without Vargas in the mix, and given their past injury woes, it would make sense to utilize a six-man rotation. It ultimately would limit the number of two-start weeks possible for Vargas and the other starters, but it could keep the veteran healthier throughout the season. No official word on this topic has been announced, but things should become clearer as Vargas' return nears.

Vargas (hand) completed six innings in a sim game Tuesday, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's also worth noting that the southpaw struck out 12 in the outing, so it seems like he's still in good shape despite the absence from game action. Vargas' next step is to go on a rehab assignment, though it's unlikely that he'll need more than one or two rehab starts given that he's been able to throw the entire time he's been sidelined. He still remains without a firm return timetable, though.

Vargas (hand) will throw in another simulated game Tuesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vargas apparently got through Thursday's sim game unscathed, but this development means that he won't even be able to begin a minor-league rehab assignment until April 22 at the earliest. This puts the veteran's earliest return date around April 27, so look for Zack Wheeler to get a few more big-league starts in his stead.

Vargas (hand) is expected to pitch six innings and 85 pitches in a simulated game Thursday, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vargas' glove hand continues to heal slowly, but it seems like it's not keeping him from throwing his fair share of pitches. No word has come forth as to how close he is to returning to regular game action, though if he requires a rehab assignment, the fact that he's already able to amass 85 pitches in a single outing likely means he'll only need one or two rehab starts.

Vargas' hand is healing slowly, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vargas broke a bone in his glove hand in mid-March and is still unable to catch. He threw a simulated game Saturday and is set to throw another on Thursday. His throwing arm is ready to go but he won't be activated until he's able to field his position. If Thursday's simulated game is his last, he'd be able to pitch on normal rest on April 17.

Vargas (hand) threw a simulated game Saturday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vargas was able to throw Saturday's simulated game without incurring any setbacks. Vargas is next scheduled to throw Thursday, although the team is unsure what he'll do for said workout. Prior to coming off the disabled list, the Mets plan on sending Vargas on a rehab assignment to pitch in a minor-league contest.

Vargas (hand) likely won't be ready to return April 11, when the Mets need a fifth starter, as he is scheduled to throw a simulated game April 7, Tim Britton of The Athletic New York reports.

EDGE Analysis

This doesn't mean that Vargas can't return next week, perhaps April 13 against the Brewers, but it does mean that the Mets will likely have to go with a bullpen game on April 11, with Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman likely piggybacking the start. We will have a better idea regarding when Vargas will make his Mets debut after Saturday's sim game.