Terry Collins doesn’t expect Frank Francisco to be ready for the season

By Mar 2, 2013, 9:40 AM EST
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Frank Francisco arrived at camp with some inflammation following December surgery to remove a bone spur from his throwing elbow, but he managed to resume throwing earlier this week. Relievers generally don’t need much time to get tuned up for the season, but Mets manager Terry Collins isn’t counting on him.

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Collins said on WFAN yesterday that he’s moving forward as if Bobby Parnell will be the closer.

“I don’t think Frankie’s going to be ready for Opening Day, so it’ll be Bobby [Parnell],” Terry Collins told WFAN about the closer’s role. “And you know what? He can take that job and run with it.”

Francisco was awful in the closer role last season, posting a 5.53 ERA over 48 appearances, so it’s possible Collins would opt for Parnell even if he was 100 percent. The 33-year-old right-hander is owed $6.5 million in 2013 in the final year of his contract.

As for Parnell, he’s plenty worthy of the opportunity, even though he has struggled in previous opportunities as closer. The 28-year-old right-hander had an excellent 2.49 ERA and 61/20 K/BB ratio over 68 2/3 innings last season and has become a more effective pitcher since he implemented a knuckle-curve to complement his electric fastball.

Dodgers place pitcher Noah Syndergaard on injured list with no timetable for return

Associated PressJun 8, 2023, 9:19 PM EDT
dodgers syndergaard
Katie Stratman/USA TODAY Sports
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CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”