NEW YORK (AP) — Mets closer Bobby Parnell was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a partially torn elbow ligament and will be sidelined until at least late May.
Parnell will be out much longer if it turns out he needs surgery. But first, he will try resting for two weeks before beginning a throwing program that could last up to a month, general manager Sandy Alderson said. If that doesn’t heal Parnell’s right elbow sufficiently, he likely would require surgery.
“It’s conceivable, I guess, that we would cut that off earlier than four weeks if we thought he wasn’t making progress,” Alderson said. “There’s always the risk that it will completely tear. But because of the location, the doctors were comfortable with the conservative approach.”
The move was made retroactive to April 1. New York selected the contract of veteran right-hander Kyle Farnsworth from Triple-A Las Vegas and added him to a suspect bullpen that flopped on opening day.
In other moves, second baseman Daniel Murphy was placed on paternity leave and the Mets recalled infielder Wilmer Flores from Las Vegas. Flores started at second against Washington left-hander Gio Gonzalez.
Parnell threw 25 pitches in the season opener Monday against the Nationals and blew a save, giving up Denard Span’s tying double in the ninth. New York lost 9-7 in 10 innings.
He had an MRI and was diagnosed with a partial tear of the right medial collateral ligament. The team said he received a plasma injection.
Jose Valverde, a three-time All-Star, takes over as the closer. The 36-year-old right-hander has 286 saves in an 11-year big league career with Arizona, Houston and Detroit.
“I feel bad for Bobby. What I want is for Bobby to be OK,” Valverde said. “I want this guy to come back soon. I want him closing games for the Mets.”
ROCKIES 6, MARLINS 5
MIAMI (AP) — Jordan Pacheco had three hits, Jordan Lyles won in his Colorado debut as the Rockies held on for victory over Miami.
Charlie Blackmon and Michael Cuddyer each had two hits and an RBI for Colorado, which lost the first two games of the season-opening series.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, all after Miami fell behind 6-1.
Rockies two-time All-Star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez left the game in the sixth inning as a precaution because of dizziness.
NATIONALS 5, METS 1
NEW YORK (AP) — Gio Gonzalez homered in his first start for the second straight season and pitched three-hit ball to lead Washington.
Ian Desmond also went deep and Jayson Werth had four hits for the Nationals, who followed up their 10-inning comeback on opening day with a more routine victory against one of Gonzalez’s favorite foes. The left-hander struck out six and walked one in six comfortable innings, improving to 6-0 in his last seven starts against New York.
Bartolo Colon (0-1) was touched up for nine hits over six innings in his Mets debut.
Desmond and Gonzalez (1-0) both homered in the fifth against Colon.