Carlos Carrasco heads to injured list with elbow issue
Carlos Carrasco #59 of the Mets reacts on the mound during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on Sunday, Apr. 9, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
LOS ANGELES — Carlos Carrasco landed on the injured list Tuesday, creating yet another hole in the Mets’ rotation — potentially for longer than the minimum 15 days.
The Mets sent Carrasco to New York for medical imaging on his inflamed right elbow after he experienced soreness and swelling during his recent between-starts bullpen session, manager Buck Showalter said.
Carrasco also had an elbow issue near the end of spring training. Showalter downplayed it as the time as routine “maintenance” that required him to skip a start.
Although he was better in his most recent outing, Carrasco largely has struggled so far this season, posting an 8.56 ERA and 1.61 WHIP — while featuring diminished velocity — through three starts.
Was this elbow problem impacting him the whole time?
“Not that we know of,” Showalter said. “What he’ll say now that he’s in full (IL mode), if he feels comfortable to reveal it all. It could be. I wouldn’t doubt it.”
Already missing injured starters Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana, the Mets don’t have many options to choose from for a Carrasco fill-in. His spot in the rotation comes around again Friday against the Giants. Near the top of the list: lefthander Joey Lucchesi, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since June 2021, when he had Tommy John surgery.
Jose Butto, who had a strong spot start against the Athletics over the weekend, was sent back to Triple-A Syracuse. He won’t be eligible to return to the majors until early May unless he is replacing an injured player.
That won’t be the case for Carrasco. The Mets called up reliever Jeff Brigham to take his roster spot.
Daily JV
Verlander’s return from a right teres major strain is coming into focus. But it’s not as soon as he wanted.
After another successful bullpen session Tuesday, Verlander is penciled in to face hitters in live batting practice on Sunday, Showalter said, then would make at least one minor-league rehabilitation start, probably April 28.
That means Verlander would miss the Mets’ first series against Atlanta (April 28-May 1) and wouldn’t return until the Mets’ subsequent visit to the Tigers, his original team, at the earliest.
“But things change,” Showalter said. “As it already has since we started this.”
Verlander said on April 8, the day of the Mets’ home opener, that it was “very reasonable” to expect him to return this month.
Extra bases
Tommy Hunter (back spasms) joined the Mets at Dodger Stadium. The Mets expect to activate him shortly, perhaps Wednesday, the first day he is eligible to return . . . Righthander Dennis Santana cleared waivers and was sent to Syracuse . . . Making his first career start at DH, Brandon Nimmo said he would “hopefully not go crazy” with all his sudden free time . . . Neither Francisco Alvarez nor Brett Baty started against Clayton Kershaw on Tuesday. But Showalter said both would be in the lineup — their first time doing so together in the majors — Wednesday against Noah Syndergaard.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
