As the Cleveland Indians have battled their way to the top of the AL Central Standings, they have done so without arguably their best pitcher. Carlos Carrasco injured his hamstring covering first base on April 24 against Detroit, and has been on the disabled list ever since.
At the time of the injury, Carrasco was pitching well, going 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA and averaging over eight strikeouts per nine innings. With his level of success, many wondered if the Indians could manage the blow of losing one of the better pitchers in Major League Baseball. Now that the Indians are sitting in first place as of this writing, many fans hope when the pitcher called “Cookie” returns, he can take the Tribe to an even higher level.
Luckily, Carrasco’s return to Cleveland is near. On Saturday, the 29 year-old made a rehab start in Akron as the RubberDucks faced the Harrisburg Senators. Ironically, Carrasco was able to test out his hamstring almost immediately; three batters into the game, Carrasco had to cover first base on a double play started by first basemen Nellie Rodriguez, similar to the play the pitcher was injured on vs. Detroit.
While Carrasco didn’t successfully catch the throw, he ran to cover first without reservation, and his mobility looked excellent. Postgame, Carrasco described the play, saying, “I just saw the ground ball to first, and I just went over there and ran as hard as I can [sic]. I wanted to test my hammy and see how it would do. It feels great.”
Carrasco didn’t have the smoothest of outings: his error on the play at first base allowed an unearned run to score, and he later gave up a solo home run to Neftali Soto. His final line on the evening was 4 IP, 7 hits, 2 runs (1 ER), 6 K, and 1 BB. Carrasco threw a total of 53 pitches, including 37 strikes. After the game, Carrasco noted he was pleased that he induced 12 first-pitch swings. His velocity was strong, with his fastball sitting between 93-96 mph. Carrasco utilized his full arsenal of pitches, mixing in his curve, change-up, and slider to accompany his fastball.
Though he allowed seven hits in just four innings including Soto’s home run, Carrasco was happy with his performance. He said early in the game, “I was just trying to work on my delivery,” but following the home run, a base hit, and a walk in the 4th, Carrasco turned things up a bit and struck out the side. He said, “[I was] trying to put pressure on myself and just trying to be in the game…I just did it on purpose to feel ready for the game, and that’s what I did, and I got three strikeouts.”
So with one successful rehab stint behind him, what are the next steps for the Indians’ pitcher? When asked if he was ready to make his next start with the Indians, Carrasco responded, “That’s the way I feel, but I don’t make those decisions.” He also mentioned that following his work in the game with the RubberDucks, he threw an additional 20 pitches in the bullpen.
Though he was busy in Akron on Saturday, the news of the Indians taking sole possession of first place was not lost on Carrasco. He said, “I heard the news today, and it’s something that just makes you happy. Now we need to come together and keep playing hard every day.”
Certainly, all signs point to Carrasco returning to the Indians in a matter of days, and in a worst-case scenario, sometime next week. When he is taken off of the disabled list, it appears most likely that rookie starting pitcher Mike Clevinger would be sent to Columbus to make room for Carrasco. At that point, the Indians would proceed with a rotation of Carrasco, Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin and Trevor Bauer. Carrasco’s return to the rotation will certainly shore up one of the weaker parts of the Tribe’s pitching staff, as Bauer, Clevinger, and Cody Anderson have all struggled at times this year out of the fifth spot, combining to g0 3-6 with 5.83 ERA.
More than anything, it is clear Carrasco himself is anxious to make his return, saying “I feel ready, and I’m ready to go.” Though the Indians will not rush him back, especially considering their strong play this month, Tribe fans won’t have to wait much longer to see “Cookie” back on the mound.
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