Mets' Carlos Carrasco has sore elbow, but Luis Rojas downplays injury
Mets pitcher Carlos Carrasco during a spring training workout on Feb. 27 in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Mets have shut down Carlos Carrasco because of elbow soreness, manager Luis Rojas announced on Wednesday, which puts an Opening Day roster spot in jeopardy for the veteran pitcher who hasn’t thrown an inning in spring training.
The issue cropped up after Carrasco threw a live batting practice session on Monday. The soonest the 33-year-old will return to the mound will be "maybe by the end of next week," Rojas said.
Rojas took great pains to say that Carrasco’s elbow pain is not that great and that it’s something that he has dealt with — and overcome — before in his career.
"He made it sound like it’s something he’s dealt with in the past," Rojas said. "We want Cookie to be healthy, which is the approach that we're taking and he's taking right now. [He is] communicating to us without the level of concern that it's something major happening."
As for the season-opening roster, Rojas said: "We'll see where we're at at that point [April 1]). But if it's going to come to a question where the health is going to be compromised, I think we're going to be on the safe side starting the season, of course."
The mere notion of elbow soreness is enough to send Mets fans into panic mode— even if the organization is not going there with them yet. Rojas said Carrasco was not expected to get an MRI and would just use rest and treatment to heal.
"Right now, this is nothing too concerning from a medical standpoint," Rojas said. "He's just going to take a few days off without throwing and we expect him to be back maybe by the end of next week facing live batters."
Carrasco had Tommy John surgery in 2011 and missed the 2012 season but returned to eventually become a rotation stalwart for Cleveland and one of the most respected players in the game.
The Mets acquired Carrasco from Cleveland on Jan. 7 in what will always be known as the Francisco Lindor trade. But getting Carrasco was important, too, because he is signed through 2022 with a team option for 2023. That makes Carrasco a hedge against the possibility of impending free agents such as Marcus Stroman and Noah Syndergaard leaving after this season.
And he’s a good pitcher. In 2020, Carrasco went 3-4 with a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts. His career mark (all with Cleveland) is 88-73 with a 3.77 ERA in 242 games.
Plus, Carrasco is a popular locker room figure. His return after being treated for leukemia, which earned him the 2019 AL Comeback Player of the Year award, is the stuff of legend around baseball
Carrasco hasn’t pitched in a spring training game after arriving a week late for medical reasons. Carrasco was absent as he received heart- and cancer-related tests as a precaution, and his first COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Rojas said Carrasco received his second COVID-19 vaccine dose on Tuesday and was experiencing body aches on Wednesday.
The Mets were hoping Carrasco would make his first start this weekend. But that was pushed back after Monday’s live BP session, although the team did not disclose the true reason until Wednesday.
Carrasco’s optimism makes the Mets believe he will not miss too much time. Carrasco is a key part of the rotation along with Jacob deGrom, Stroman and Taijuan Walker.
If Carrasco starts the season on the injured list, the Mets can dip into their depth. Lefthanders David Peterson and Joey Lucchesi are battling for the No. 5 spot. Now both could start the season in the rotation. Or the Mets could use righthanders Jordan Yamamoto or Jerad Eickhoff.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
