Mets Reveal Parnell Injury After Implosion

Mets closer Bobby Parnell is more hurt than he led on apparently.

Word came down from Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal that Parnell has a partially torn MCL ligament in his elbow, meaning that the inconsistent closer will hit the DL for two weeks and could require surgery at some point.

It is quite ironic that Parnell suddenly gets diagnosed with an elbow injury after he imploded on the mound in the ninth inning of the Mets opening day game against Washington. It is even more troubling, considering that the pitcher said he felt "comfortable" on the mound after the game.

Parnell was already coming off neck surgery last season, and his velocity was down Monday. The lack of velocity obviously had more to do with the now ligament injury than anything else.

Yet the Mets felt the need to put him out there. If Parnell had already been injured and had already felt discomfort he should never have been placed on the 25 man roster to start the season. Those who believe that Parnell was out there to work things out are ludicrous. Parnell's ego, and incompetency of the Mets training staff hurt the team on the most important day of the new season.

Now the Mets are without a closer. A team that already has a pretty horiffic bullpen just got a little worse with Parnell now out. While, I never considered Parnell a good closer, the fact is he's probably the best reliever in this sad sacked bullpen.

Now the Mets will rely on Jose Valverde, who was the only pitcher to look good, Monday for the forceable future. Unless Valverde takes a strangle hold of the position, the Mets will be in the market for a closer, even if Parnell comes back to full strength.