On May 13, 2009 he was called up from AA Mobile BayBears when left fielderConor Jackson was placed on the disabled list. He was inserted into the starting lineup the same day, and in his first Major Leagueat bat he became the 100th player in MLB history to hit a home run in his first at bat. In his first five games he had at least one RBI, becoming the second player since Mike Lansing in the last 30 years to accomplish this feat. Parra was named NL Rookie of the Month for May and reached base in each of his first 17 games. In 2011, Parra broke out batting.292 with 8 home runs and 46 runs batted in. Not only did he do well offensively, he also established himself as a threat with his powerful throwing arm, throwing out runners on various occasions. He was a very underrated player in 2011 as he was a key ingredient in leading the Diamondbacks turnaround. After an outstanding season defensively Parra was awarded the 2011 National League Left FielderGold Glove award on November 1, 2011. In an 18 inning game on 24–25 August 2013 at the Philadelphia Phillies, Parra collected a career-high five hits. The teams drew a combined 28 bases on balls, a National League record. The Diamondbacks' 18 walks tied the National League mark. The game lasted seven hours and six minutes, the longest in franchise history for both clubs.
Milwaukee Brewers
On July 31, 2014, the Diamondbacks traded Parra to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for minor leaguers Mitch Haniger and Anthony Banda. Parra hit between Arizona and Milwaukee.261 with 9 home runs and 40 RBI's.
Baltimore Orioles
On July 31, 2015, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Zach Davies. After a slow start with the O's, Parra tied a career-high in hits with five on August 16 in an 18-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics. The five hits were the most hits he had collected in a nine-inning game.
Colorado Rockies
On January 19, 2016, Parra signed a three-year contract with the Colorado Rockies. In his first season as a Rockie, he spent time on the disabled list. He played in 102 games, hitting just.253/.271/.399 with a strikeout to walk ratio of 73/9. He bounced back the following season, hitting career highs in average and RBIs. On April 13, 2018, Parra was suspended for four games due to his involvement in a brawl that occurred with the Padres two days prior. He ended his three year contract hitting.284/.342/.372 with 6 home runs and 53 runs batted in. On October 30, 2018, the Rockies declined the 2019 option on Parra's contract, instead paying him a $1.5 million buyout and making him a free agent.
San Francisco Giants
On February 12, 2019, Parra signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants that included an invitation to spring training. He batted.198/.278/.267. He was designated for assignment on May 3, 2019.
Washington Nationals
On May 9, 2019, Parra signed a one-year major league contract with the Washington Nationals. His first hit with the team was a go-ahead grand slam in a May 11 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2019 with the Nationals he batted.250/.300/.447. Between the Giants and the Nationals combined, in 2019 he batted.234/.293/.391 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs in 274 at bats. During his time with the Nationals, at the suggestion of his children, Parra changed his walk-up music to the popular children's song "Baby Shark". This became a crowd favorite throughout the second half of 2019, as crowds at Nationals Park began to sing along and do the accompanying motions whenever Parra came up to bat. Fans throughout the stadium were seen doing the "shark dance" when Parra was called up to bat in Game 4 of the 2019 National League Championship Series, and then again when Parra was called up to pinch-hit in Games 3, 4, and 5 of the 2019 World Series vs. the Houston Astros. The Nationals won the World Series in 7 games, their first in franchise history.
Yomiuri Giants
On November 20, 2019, Parra signed a one-year contract with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.
