Last season, Oakland A’s pitcher Jarrod Parker was suppose to be the Opening Day starter for the Athletics in 2014. However, before he could make his first start, Parker received the unfortunate news that he would have to undergo his second Tommy John’s surgery. This 26-year-old’s has now undergone two Tommy John’s surgeries in the span of five years. Parker’s career as a starting pitcher could be directly be affected by this second surgery.
Many are hoping that Parker will come back as a starter. And because of his previous success as a starting pitcher, it is not difficult to see why they would want him back in the rotation. In 2013, he had a 12-8 winning record with a 3.97 ERA. Additionally, Parker struck out 134 batters over 197 total innings pitched. However, the likelihood of him returning and finding a place in the starting rotation is slim.
Most pitchers who come back from their second Tommy John’s surgery tend to end up in the bullpen as a reliever. There is only one notable starting pitcher who successfully came back from two Tommy John’s surgeries and that is Chris Capuano who is currently with the New York Yankees. Even though he has achieved the amazing feat of overcoming two Tommy John’s surgeries, Capuano is only a mediocre starting pitcher and has not made an major impact since coming back from his second surgery. Besides Capuano, the majority of pitchers who have come back from two of these surgeries and been successful have been relief pitchers.
Some of these relief pitchers include Brian Wilson and Shawn Kelley. Kelley was the closer for the Yankees in 2014 and Wilson has been a successful set-up man for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both have maintained the pitch velocity they had pre-surgery and were able to pitch over 45 innings last season.
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Even though it would be disappointing for Parker, it would make sense for him to start the 2015 season in the bullpen. It would be a good idea to take this upcoming season easy since returning from a second Tommy John’s surgery is much harder than recovering from the initial one. Additionally, the Oakland A’s have a surplus of starting pitchers right now and trying to fit him into the rotation mid-season could prove difficult. If it was decided that Parker’s pitching power and stamina could sustain him as a successful starting pitcher once again, then perhaps he could be in the starting rotation in 2016.
Currently, 43 pitchers have undergone Tommy John’s surgery twice and only 26 have come back to pitch in the MLB. With the skill he demonstrated in 2012 and 2013 and his young age, there is a strong possibility that Parker could come back and be successful. However, the success he finds in 2015 might be as a reliever in the bullpen.
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