New York Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco is scheduled to throw a rehab start on Tuesday for the team’s Double-A affiliate in Binghamton, the team announced.
The veteran right-hander has been out since April 15 after a bone spur was discovered in his pitching elbow. He underwent an injection that has avoided surgery and a long-term absence for a thin starting rotation, but an illness has slowed down his return.
Manager Buck Showalter speculated on Sunday that Carrasco could need two rehab starts if that illness were to extend his absence, but it is unknown at this time the exact number of minor-league starts will be needed.
The 36-year-old had struggled mightily in his opening of 2023. Across three starts, he posted an 8.56 ERA with eight strikeouts, eight walks, three home runs allowed, and a 1.610 WHIP.
Should Carrasco need just one rehab start, he could return toward the end of the Mets’ six-game road trip in Cincinnati and Washington, D.C., which begins on Tuesday against the Reds. It would be another sizable step forward for a New York rotation that had been spread dangerously thin in the opening month of the season.
Justin Verlander finally made his Mets and season debut last week in Detroit against the Tigers a day after Max Scherzer returned from a 10-game suspension. Veteran lefty Jose Quintana is expected to be out until at least July after undergoing rib surgery.
