PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. _ The Mets informed Zack Wheeler on Saturday that he did not make the team and will begin the season at Triple-A Las Vegas.
The demotion was a bitter pill for Wheeler, who hasn't been a minor leaguer since 2013. But Wheeler's 8.10 spring training ERA and the emergence of Seth Lugo in the battle for the No. 5 rotation means Wheeler is getting a trip to Vegas for the foreseeable future.
"You take it kind of hard because you're so used to being up here," Wheeler said. "But it gives me a chance to go down there and fine-tune some things and work on some things that I need to work on to get back up here and be consistent."
The Mets did not announce their decision for the final spot in the rotation. Lugo thrust himself into the conversation with four shutout innings in relief of Wheeler on Thursday. The Mets also are considering Jason Vargas, who is attempting to make the Opening Day roster after having surgery on Tuesday to remove part of a bone in his right (non-throwing) hand.
Vargas, who was felled by a stomach issue on Friday, returned to the team on Saturday.
Wheeler, 27, missed the 2015 and 2016 seasons after Tommy John surgery. He returned last year and went 3-7 with a 5.21 ERA in 17 starts before he was shut down to rest his arm.
