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Mets announce Bobby Parnell will undergo Tommy John surgery
MMets closer Bobby Parnell will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday at
the Hospital for Special Surgery. Unfortunately, the news comes as no
surprise, as Parnell hit the disabled list a few days ago with a torn
ligament in his pitching elbow. After his initial diagnosis, Parnell
received treatment and was prescribed two weeks of rest and a throwing
program to test his elbow. Clearly, that plan has gone out the window.
There's no doubt that Parnell has been the team's best relief pitcher
for several years. Since the beginning of the 2011 season, he has a
2.82 ERA and 2.89 FIP with 8.55 strikeouts, 3.02 walks, and just 0.45
home runs per nine innings. And even with that very good performance,
the Mets' bullpen has been among the worst in baseball every season
over that span.
For now, the Mets have turned to Jose Valverde to fill the void at the
back end of the bullpen. Kyle Farnsworth was added to the Mets' roster
when Parnell hit the DL, and he might see high-leverage work, too. If
the Mets are lucky, Jeurys Familia will prove himself dominant in the
majors and supplant the pair of veterans.