Veteran starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco won’t take the field for the Mets again this season. It’s not because of the uninspiring 6.80 ERA he’s posted through 90 innings in 2023, though.
Its because he’s headed to the injured list. According to manager Buck Showalter, the right-hander dropped a 50-pound barbell and broke his finger.
This is rough way to have your season cut short. It’s also a very Metsian way to have it happen.
With him headed for free agency this winter, this is also an unceremonious end to Cookie’s tenure in Queens. It was the definition of uneven.
He arrived in Flushing with Francisco Lindor for the 2021 campaign. A spring-training injury delayed his team debut and limited him to 12 starts. Carrasco went 1-6 with a 6.04 ERA during that time.
But his 2022 performance was a revelation. He went 15-7 with a 3.97 ERA while making 29 starts and racking up 152 innings.
That made it an easy decision to exercise the 36-year-old’s $14 million option for 2023. But, like many things have gone for the Mets this year, it just didn’t work out.
What stands out the most was just how hittable Cookie’s stuff had become. He allowed 11.5 hits per nine innings. That’s his highest single-season mark since 2013 (12.3).
This will open up an opportunity for someone else to make some starts down the stretch for New York. Maybe the Mets call up Mike Vasil from Triple-A Syracuse?
Either way, this is a brutal way for any player to end a season. That’s especially the case for Carlos Carrasco, who is one of the game’s good guys. We wish him nothing but the best in his recovery and the rest of his MLB career.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
