NEW YORK ( Associated Press) – Carlos Carrasco could rejoin the New York Mets next week, possibly completing an injury-riddled rotation this season.
The Venezuelan right-hander started throwing last week since April 16 due to inflammation in the elbow of his throwing arm. Manager Buck Showalter said the 36-year-old pitcher is “middle of the book” for the rotation cycle that begins Saturday.
Showalter said left-hander Joey Lucchesi will play in the series opener against the Tigers in Detroit on Tuesday. Aces Max Scherzer (suspension) and Justin Verlander (pulled muscle) will return to the rotation for the final two games of the series.
Japanese rookie Kodai Senga, whose last start came on April 26, is scheduled to compete against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field on Friday. Showalter said the Mets are hoping that giving him the break will allow Senga to pitch once a week in Japan, settling into a routine preparing to pitch every five or six days of the season. .
The Mets’ game against the Atlanta Braves was rained out on Saturday and Sunday.
Senga is one of five Mets starters at the start of the season capable of making every change in the rotation.
Carrasco is 0-2 with an 8.56 ERA in three starts before going on the disabled list.
Scherzer, who was ejected during a start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 19 for using a substance to increase his grip on the ball, is 2–1 with a 3.72 ERA in four starts.
Verlander has yet to make his Mets debut after injuring himself in his last round of spring training. He pitched four and two-thirds innings for the Double-A affiliate.
And Colombia left-back Jose Quintana, who signed a two-year contract in December, fractured a rib in his left side in March and is on the 60-day disabled list.
