Colorado Rockies: Is Gerardo Parra’s 2017 different from 2016?

Gerardo Parra has been a solid piece of the Colorado Rockies 2017 puzzle but is it short lived?

The Colorado outfielder had been putting up very good numbers this season. After Tuesday’s win over the Cleveland Indians, Parra has an average of .318 with six home runs and 28 runs batted in. As of late, he has been near unstoppable from the plate. Before the game on Tuesday, over the last 10 games, Parra has played he has a slash line of .520/.571/.800.

But then after collecting two hits during the game on Tuesday, a sight Rockies fans did not want to see occurred. Parra tried stealing second base in the bottom of the third inning and ended up pulling up reaching for his right leg. He is headed for the DL per manager Bud Black, which only adds to the Rockies injuries. 

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Parra was heading toward possibly his best season as a hitter before the injury. Only once before in his nine-year career has the outfielder hit above .300.

Is this something Rockies fans have seen before? This is only the second year for Parra in a Rockies uniform but could this year be the same story as last. Before Tuesday’s game, he only had 156 plate appearances this season due to the new outfield rotation with Ian Desmond. Last year, after 154 plate appearances through the middle of May, he also had an average over .300. He then starting slumping and saw his numbers fall drastically.

That isn’t the only similarity to this story, as the injury bug found him last year as well. During a June 14 game last year against the New York Yankees, Trevor Story and Parra collided in shallow left field. The collision left Parra with a sprained left ankle. He would not return till August 7. This quad strain shouldn’t keep him out that long but it can be a nagging injury.

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One must also keep an eye out for Parra’s form once he does return. This is a cause for concern because of the numbers from last year. Once Parra returned after his ankle injury, his performance at the plate wasn’t the same. He only batted .232 after his return and his on base percentage was also below .300.

Will this injury have a different impact than last year’s? Rockies fans must hope so. With Carlos Gonzalez hitting hot and cold and Desmond not producing his usual power numbers, Parra will be missed. The two-time Gold Glover’s injury has sparked question marks for what the Rockies will do at the corner outfield positions.