SPORTS NEWS

Jarrod Parker’s bid to return to the major leagues after his second Tommy John surgery took a turn for the worse Friday night when the pitcher suffered a scary-looking injury in a minor league rehab game. Pitching for the Nashville Sounds Friday night against the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate, the right-hander released a wild pitch, then immediately hit the ground and began writhing in pain. MORE: Strasburg dealing with tight back | Nelson Cruz dumps trash on Logan Morrison after homer SFGate.com reported that scouts and medical professionals who had seen the disturbing video mentioned the possibility of the injury being a fracture. The 26-year-old Parker burst on the scene for the A’s in 2012 with a 13-8 mark and 3.47 ERA. He followed that up with a solid 2013 campaign (12-8, 3.97 ERA and 1.223 WHIP). But after struggling in spring training in 2014, he underwent his second Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2014 season. He underwent his first such procedure in 2009 while with the...

The Rays received bad news Tuesday when they learned starting pitcher Alex Cobb has a partially torn ligament in his right elbow, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Cobb was placed on the disabled list before the season with discomfort in his right forearm. Tests at the time found no structural damage. A more recent MRI exam revealed the tear. The Times report said Cobb will attempt to rehab through rest and other treatment and is hopeful of pitching again this season. If that fails, then he'll need Tommy John surgery, which would keep him out for the remainder of this season and a good portion of the 2016 season. Cobb, 27, posted ace-caliber numbers last season (2.87 ERA, 1.136 WHIP and 149:47 K:BB ratio over 166 1/3 innings), so the Rays will be cautious with him. Tampa Bay boasts one of the strongest and deepest rotations in baseball, led by Chris Archer (3-3, 1.64 ERA) and Jake Odorizzi (3-2, 2.21 ERA). Drew Smyly and Nathan Karns hold the third and fourth spots. View the origi...