So far on his road to recovery, Bobby Parnell has really struggled in his minor league rehab appearances. He is mainly struggling with his command and more concerning, his velocity. There is still no timetable for his return.
On Tuesday, Parnell gave up 3 runs and 4 hits in 1 1/3 innings in a extended spring training game in Florida. His fastball has been in the lower 90s, mainly 91 mph, which is lower than his usual high 90s.
“I don’t have a real concern about it,” Sandy Alderson told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “I just think we need to be realistic and not push him too hard, because ultimately, the goal is to have Bobby back and effective at the Major League level. Simply being back isn’t really enough.”
Parnell was initially expected to come back in mid-April, but has been suffering from setbacks, mainly in his forearm which shut him down for five days at one point. He underwent an MRI and the results showed no structural damage. However he has not been able to regain his normal velocity and speed on his fastball.
This is a concern now. Parnell has always been a hard thrower, even cracking 100 mph on his fastball. He clearly is not himself yet and unless he can throw in the mid to upper 90s, he is far from ready.
The Mets have been banged up and Parnell is one of their key relievers. But his slow recovery is adding some concern and the fact that it’s taking so much longer than expected. It’s definitely frustrating especially since we know what Parnell can do on the mound when he’s healthy. We’ll just have to continue to stay patient and hope for that increased velocity and a quick return.
