Easily the Mets' best relief pitcher over the past few years, Parnell's season is over.
Mets 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.