Now starting for your New York Mets: Bobby Parnell?

Today, I watched Bobby Parnell throw three innings in relief of Jon Niese and Nelson Figueroa. Niese, as you likely know, tore his hamstring attempting to cover first base and left the game. He will miss the remainder of the season.

That leaves a hole in the already thin rotation.

Do the Mets trust Figueroa enough to hand him a starting job after his effort against Arizona? (Though today was absolutely brilliant for the New York native.)

Parnell pitched three innings for a reason. He earned his first career save, picked up his first career hit in his first career at bat and scored his first career run.

(Side note, for those wondering about how Parnell earned a save in a game that ended 9-0, here is the MLB save rule:

1. He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team
2. He is not the winning pitcher
3. He is credited with at least ⅓ of an inning pitched
4. He satisfies one of the following conditions:
   1. He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning
   2. He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat or on deck
   3. He pitches for at least three innings

Parnell satisfied the three inning rule, therefore earning the save.)

Anyway…

Robert Allen Parnell was drafted by the Mets in the 9th round of the 2005 amateur draft out of Charleston Southern University.

In 94 games in Single-A through Triple-A, Parnell started 92 times. Only when Parnell came to spring training did the Mets move him into a relief role.

So today, as Parnell worked and worked and worked, something in the back of my mind was shouting “Are they really going to make Parnell a starter?” Seems I wasn’t alone in my thoughts, either: Joe Janish jumped on this as well.

With the Mets minor leagues already devoid of talent due to injuries at the big league level and no prospects are seemingly ready to make the jump, this “Parnell, SP” may be something to keep your eye on for the rest of this season and beyond.