The New York Mets received some positive news regarding the injury of one of their most important players for the 2021 season. Pitcher Carlos Carrasco, who came from Cleveland via trade with his friend Francisco Lindor, will soon report to the team’s alternate training site to start doing some fielding drills, according to Anthony DiComo.
The Mets lost Carrasco, who is currently 34 years old, to a torn hamstring on March 18. He was recovering from a bout of right elbow soreness that he said was normal for him during spring training, but the high-grade hamstring tear put him out for at least six to eight weeks.
It would appear, however, that the Mets’ starter is progressing somewhat ahead of schedule. According to the latest reports, Carrasco is already stretched out to pitch four innings on the mound and “is doing really good right now,” per manager Luis Rojas.
The Mets are currently using Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, David Peterson, Taijuan Walker, and Joey Lucchesi in their rotation so far in the 2021 season. Once Carrasco is ready to return, Rojas will have to make a decision, although he has implied that he prefers a traditional five-man rotation.
The Mets hope to have Carrasco back before June
As for Carrasco, the Mets’ skipper has indicated that the organization is taking a “week-to-week†approach to make sure he doesn’t aggravate the injury. Hamstring injuries are extremely tricky to deal with, and the medical staff knows that.
Carrasco started a throwing program on March 29, roughly 11 days after suffering the hamstring injury. He has made sure his arm is ready to go whenever he leaves his leg ailment behind.
He was throwing his entire repertoire in a simulated game on April 4, when he threw a total of two innings. He is definitely trending in the right direction, and it looks like the Mets can have him back before June.