Veteran outfielder Gerardo Parra likely out at least four weeks after surgery on hand.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.» Rockies outfielder Gerardo Parra will miss significant time during spring training after undergoing surgery to remove a broken bone in his right hand.
Parra, whose hand was tightly wrapped when he walked into the clubhouse at Salt River Fields on Friday morning, had surgery the previous Friday to remove the broken hamate bone in the hand. The hamate is a carpal bone on the outside (littlefinger side) of the wrist. The surgery was performed in Scottsdale by Dr. Donald Sheridan, a noted hand surgeon.
“I felt something when I was (hitting) in the cage last week and there was some pain in there,” said Parra, 30, who’s expected to be one of the Rockies’ starting corner outfielders. “It feels better already; not as much pain. I’m going to be ready by opening day.”
Parra said he hopes to return to action by March 8, but whether he can recover that quickly remains to be seen. It usually takes four to six weeks for a player to return from a similar procedure, but former Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds had surgery to remove the hamate bone in his left hand in August 2016 and returned after only 20 days, missing 16 games.
“I think the history of hamate bone (injuries) is that guys come back and there are really no issues,” manager Bud Black said. “You are always concerned when there is any procedure, but in this case, it is pretty straightforward for most all players. And the recovery rate is very, very high. “He’s going to be fine.” Black added that because the injury occurred before spring training, there is less urgency for Parra to return than if the injury had occurred during the regular season.
“We will be a little bit more cautious right now,” Black said.
The hamate has a hookshaped part that protrudes outward and can be fractured if there is enough force. The positioning of the hand against the knob of the baseball bat can lead to the injury.
Parra’s injury opens a bigger window for David Dahl in a bid to earn a starting outfield job.
“The expectation is to get David regular time on the playing field, both at practice in the morning, and once games start, to get him regular work,” Black said.
Black said Parra’s injury won’t affect the spring training plan for Ian Desmond, who’s expected to get playing time in left field and at first base.
Parra is entering the final year of a three-year, $27.5 million contract with Colorado. He has missed significant time because of injuries during his tenure with the Rockies. In 2016, he suffered a high-ankle sprain and missed 46 games. Last season, he missed 28 games because of a strained right quadriceps.
Parra batted .309 last season, the highest average of his career. He batted .318 before the injury and hit .303 from July 7 to the end of the season.