Bobby Parnell’s minor-league rehab assignment was anything but impressive, with a 11.57 ERA and reports of diminished velocity, but his 30-day rehab clock is expiring and Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports that the Mets will activate him from the disabled list.
Parnell hasn’t pitched since Opening Day of last season and his comeback from Tommy John elbow surgery has been a rocky one, but as an MLB veteran with a $3.7 million salary simply demoting him to the minors isn’t an option.
Presumably the Mets will use Parnell in the lowest-leverage role possible until he shows signs of turning things around. Prior to the injury he was the Mets’ closer and posted a 2.79 ERA in 213 innings from 2010-2013, but the first-hand reports from his rehab stint suggest things could be ugly against big-league hitters for a while.