Carlos Carrasco’s return to the mound on Tuesday night was a testament to how far sports medicine has come. The starting pitcher’s performance in his season debut for the Indians made it clear that he still has a long way to go.
Pitching in a Major League setting for the first time in two seasons, Carrasco labored and the Yankees pounced, sending Cleveland to a 14-1 loss at Progressive Field. Adding insult to his comeback from injury, Carrasco was ejected after hitting Kevin Youkilis with a pitch in the fourth inning.
“I feel really bad,” Carrasco said. “I feel good, because I’m coming back and everything, and I feel healthy. But I know it doesn’t look good.”
Carrasco allowed a home run to Robinson Cano on the pitch prior to hitting Youkilis, but the pitcher insisted he did not hit New York’s third baseman intentionally. Carrasco even stopped by Indians manager Terry Francona’s office to offer an apology and an explanation.
The loss was the second in a row for the Indians (3-5), who have struggled to find consistent starting pitching in the season’s early going. Cleveland’s only wins by a starter have come with staff leader Justin Masterson on the hill, and the rest of the starters have done little to ease the worries about a rotation that was one of the American League’s worst groups a season ago.
As Carrasco’s night unraveled, and then ended abruptly, Francona was focused on doing what he could to save the arms in his bullpen. That is why he turned to Brett Myers — Wednesday’s planned starter — and stuck with him to the bitter end, even while the veteran right-hander was being beaten badly by the Bronx Bombers.
“We had Brett on reserve tonight just in case Carlos didn’t get deep,” Francona said. “We didn’t expect this to happen, but he knew that was a possibility. … Losing a game is not fun, but Brett saved our bullpen. So hopefully we can win a game [Wednesday] night.”
The Indians did not announce a starter for Wednesday after the game.
Carrasco was on the sideline last year, spending the entire campaign working his way back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Prior to his forgettable meeting with the Yankees, the right-hander’s previous outing came on Aug. 3, 2011. He underwent season-ending surgery that September.
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