Bobby Parnell Has Torn UCL

According to Mets.com, closer Bobby Parnell has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, and may require Tommy John surgery.

Jeez, only one game into 2014 and the Mets’ season is crumbling by the minute. What else can go wrong?

Per the Mets:

Parnell received a platelet-rich plasma injection and has been prescribed complete rest for the next two weeks. After that time, he will begin a throwing program that will determine whether elbow surgery will be required.

Well, if nothing else, news of the injury provides a segue into my latest conversation with sport kinesiologist Angel Borrelli, who wrote an entire book on the pitching elbow and knows a few things about how and why UCL tears occur. Among other subjects, we discuss what pitchers do after Tommy John surgery — and guess what? Matt Harvey could very well return at some point this year. You can listen to it below.

More Baseball Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with On Baseball on BlogTalkRadio

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
  1. DaveSchneck April 1, 2014 at 2:03 pm
    Joe,
    Not that I am a doctor, but I read this was the MCL as opposed to the UCL. Frankly I don’t know the difference, but it strikes me that we won’t see Bobby Parnell for quite some time.

    Alderson wasted no time in finding reinforcements in his pitching-rich system. Kyle Farnsworth, who proved this spring he is no longer a major league pitcher, is on the way.

    This bullpen mess may work itself out, and pigs may fly, but it is all on the GM, 100%. Boy, I could use an Izzy post badly.

    • Izzy April 1, 2014 at 3:18 pm
      You said it all Dave, or are the Alderson apologizes going to continue to blame Omar. I guess it was Omar who wouldn’t pay a few bucks to keep Alderson’s lonely success story, Hawkins. It was ok to overpay a 200 hitting ofer when that was one team’s few strengths but screw the pen, who needs one esp with tc burning them out by the game.
      • Joe Janish April 1, 2014 at 5:05 pm
        Funny you mention Hawkins. One of my colleagues at work — someone in accounting, no less — has been asking me since December, “why didn’t the Mets re-sign Hawkins? They could’ve had him for pennies …”

        Yep. Why, indeed?

        • crozier April 2, 2014 at 9:30 am
          Perhaps because Hawkins didn’t want to be kept by the Mets.

          Or perhaps because common wisdom these days is anyone can pitch an inning effectively. Many successful teams have demonstrated this.

          The Mets aren’t a successful team, though. Not yet. But mark my words: one day, perhaps very soon, a Met reliever will pitch an inning, and it WILL be effective. Maybe tonight!

    • meticated April 1, 2014 at 5:38 pm
      Google abstracts on mcl tears and you will discover that mcl tears require tommy john…
      • DaveSchneck April 1, 2014 at 5:44 pm
        Meticated,
        Not very comforting, but thanks for the info.
    • Joe Janish April 3, 2014 at 12:42 am
      Dave, UCL and MCL are the same thing. The Mets originally reported it (correctly) as UCL, and suddenly, it’s been spun as “MCL,” perhaps to confuse and provide just a few more hours of hope. You say “toe-MAY-toe,” I say “toe-MAH-toe,” but either way, a surgeon will have to replace it with ligament from Parnell’s left elbow or wrist.
  2. argonbunnies April 1, 2014 at 2:21 pm
    Parnell was successful in spring training by focusing on movement, location, and his curve. Then he entered a big league game, tried to ramp up the velocity, and hurt himself. Or maybe he hurt his elbow warming up, and that’s why he didn’t throw a single curveball… and he pitched anyway. Maybe this is no one’s fault but Bobby’s, but you’d like to have some team communication and guidelines around stuff like this.

    By the way, the Mets have also missed a ton of opportunities to pick up failed starters and convert them to relief in recent weeks. Tommy Hanson, Joe Blanton, Scott Baker and others would have been zero-risk acquisitions who might turn out to be upgrades over the wild arms we have now. With as bad a bullpen as the Mets currently have, management must continue looking for ways to improve. But I guess grabbing some MLB strike-throwers for free is too radical a thought.

    • Joe Janish April 1, 2014 at 5:02 pm
      What about John Lannan? I actually like him more in a “clean-inning” role such as setup or closer than as a LOOGY.

      But otherwise, agreed. The Mets’ front office would likely point to Valverde and Farnsworth as their zero-risk acquisitions for the ‘pen. I’m with you, though — it makes sense to try to convert some starters to relief.

      • argonbunnies April 1, 2014 at 6:25 pm
        I see nothing in Lannan’s career stats that would indicate relief success to me. His intangibles are good, but I’d prefer Blanton’s minuscule walk rate.

        It feels weird to be saying positive things about Joe Blanton. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he could be a better reliever than Lannan, Germen, Black, Farnsworth, et al.

        • Izzy April 1, 2014 at 7:15 pm
          You can argue Blanton or lannan or x or y or z but it is all judgement calls all with guys who are starters and all of whim wil not go to pen yet. Fact is mets did what you wanted. As for Parnell spring he didn’t throw hard or couldn’t. Most likely couldn’t. A guy doesn’t go from 99 to 89 in a year without reason. The adrenalin flowed, he tried to air it out and he couldn’t. He is not a closer throwing garbage. No long term deal, he tries to muddle thru.
        • argonbunnies April 1, 2014 at 8:30 pm
          I dunno, if Lannan would accept a bullpen job, I don’t see why Hanson/Blanton/Baker wouldn’t. Those 3 guys were all recently released by teams that needed pitching. I agree that it’s a judgment call and nothing is proven, but I think the odds are much better with accomplished strike-throwers (Blanton, Baker) or guys with established out pitches (Hanson’s slider/curve) than a guy like Lannan. So, no, the Mets didn’t do what I wanted at all (not that I’d expect them to). You clearly can’t just convert any old starter to relief.

          I’m sure Lannan will be useful against those hitters who simply can’t hit lefties, but I dunno, how many of those guys do we face? Plus, even if Lannan is a good gamble, no reason not to add 3 or 4 more arms to hedge their bets.

          …not that any of this is an ideal scenario. Growing or acquiring relievers who are already good would be better.

        • Joe Janish April 3, 2014 at 12:44 am
          I’m not necessarily suggesting that Lannan is a good choice for conversion. Rather, that I like him better in that role than as a LOOGY, and further, that he is one of the cards currently in the Mets’ hand (and not a face-card, at that).
  3. meticated April 1, 2014 at 4:06 pm
    this is where Ralph mcfierson asks bill Murray if he wants to buy insurance…again…it’s like having that scratch on your reading glasses…you try to ignore it…you rub it with the cloth but it won’t go away…you pretend its not there..finally you realize this is for real and you go buy a bullpen …does anybody have an explanation of how to expiate negative karma …cuz I checked and the dalai lama says that the Wilpons must go…
    • Dan B April 1, 2014 at 11:09 pm
      Loved the reading glasses reference. Guilty as charged.
  4. meticated April 1, 2014 at 4:09 pm
    …. then he put his scullcap on upside down..and put his patchoui flavored bubblegum on top …
  5. Dan42 April 1, 2014 at 4:46 pm
    All pitchers without a guaranteed multi year contract have a 7 or 8 figure reason to “pitch through it”. Pigs will fly before that changes.
    • argonbunnies April 1, 2014 at 4:57 pm
      Don’t they also have agents telling them that that approach actually does not work out in their favor?
      • Dan42 April 2, 2014 at 8:57 am
        Does it? If they sit for a while to let it heal on its own, then go through extensive rehab, all before they have built a solid reputation as a super talent, what does that do to their value? Aren’t they considered injury risks, more so than if they went through successful TJ, which could be avoided if the injury was treated early?
        • argonbunnies April 2, 2014 at 6:26 pm
          It’s true, the “fragile” label sucks and can be hard to shake. It doesn’t earn you respect from your teammates, most of whom are playing in some sort of pain. Coaches may also deem you a wuss.

          However, as far as dollars and opportunities, all that pales in comparison to losing a year to TJ. That’s a year when your arbitration value isn’t climbing, and a year when other pitchers are coming in to replace you. Rehabbing for a month and staying on your team’s radar has got to be better than that, and I’ve yet to hear an agent advise pushing through a bum arm.

          Plus, most guys who pitch hurt don’t pitch well. You may escape the “fragile” label and simply be labeled “not that good”.

          Pretty much every logical angle I can think of, including salary, says “don’t pitch through it”. The pressure in the other direction seems mostly to come from fear, impatience, ignorance and machismo. Perhaps I’m wrong, though — perhaps it’s the teams who are stupid, in this case about sunk costs, and will give a TJ patient extra opportunities because they’ve already paid for his surgery and rehab.

        • argonbunnies April 2, 2014 at 6:27 pm
          It’s true, the “fragile” label is bad news and can be hard to shake. It doesn’t earn you respect from your teammates, most of whom are playing in some sort of pain. Coaches may also deem you a wuss.

          However, as far as dollars and opportunities, all that pales in comparison to losing a year to TJ. That’s a year when your arbitration value isn’t climbing, and a year when other pitchers are coming in to replace you. Rehabbing for a month and staying on your team’s radar has got to be better than that, and I’ve yet to hear an agent advise pushing through a bum arm.

          Plus, most guys who pitch hurt don’t pitch well. You may escape the “fragile” label and simply be labeled “not that good”.

          Pretty much every logical angle I can think of, including salary, says “don’t pitch through it”. The pressure in the other direction seems mostly to come from fear, impatience, ignorance and machismo. Perhaps I’m wrong, though — perhaps it’s the teams who are stupid, in this case about sunk costs, and will give a TJ patient extra opportunities because they’ve already paid for his surgery and rehab.

  6. meticated April 2, 2014 at 1:21 am
    oops…ned ryerson…