CLEVELAND, OH – Indians manager Terry Francona questioned his decision to put Carlos Carrasco in the game on Tuesday night.
Carrasco, 32, allowed four runs, including two homers in the eighth inning. He had only made one big league appearance prior to Tuesday since being diagnosed with leukemia in early June.
“Maybe I rushed into it a little bit, that’s what I was thinking about after the game,” Francona said. “But I really think for us to get where we’re going we’re gonna need him, so we gotta get him, not that he’s going to pitch tonight [Wednesday], get him back out there and get his legs under him.
“That’s why I kinda questioned myself last night, like, ‘did I put him in a position that wasn’t fair to him?”
Carrasco entered the game with a 5-2 lead and was going up against a lineup he had success against in the past. If he’s going to contribute against playoff teams like the Twins, Phillies, Rays and Yankees, then he has to hit the ground running and get enough work over the next few weeks.
It’s easy for anyone, including Francona, to question the decision afterwards because of how it turned out, but that doesn’t mean it was unfair to Carrasco.
Kluber Update
It doesn’t sound like the Indians expect Corey Kluber to contribute anytime soon. The two-time Cy Young Award winner was close to returning from a broken forearm, but he suffered an internal oblique strain in his last rehab start on August 18.
“He feels like he was one start away from coming to pitch and that went away,” Francona said. “He’s miserable about it, and it’s not his fault. He’s doing stuff in the water right now. He’s got a ways to go. But let’s just let him do his thing. That’s the fairest way to be to him.”
Kluber posted a 5.80 ERA in seven starts this season. The Indians have to decide if they’re going to exercise his $17.5 million team option this offseason.
Mr. Consistent
Carlos Santana wasn’t known for his consistency coming into the season, but the Indians’ All-Star has been the definition of it in 2019. He’s posted a .289/.408/.544 slash line with 32 home runs and 84 RBI.
“He was the model of consistency in spring training,” Francona said. “It’s been fun to watch. He’s a joy to be around. He’s the same every day and it gives you a little lift when he has all the funny things he does. Kissing my head, or touching Barney’s belly. He’s got something with everybody. He’s an easy guy to like. We’ve grown really fond of him and it hasn’t been just because he’s hitting. He’s grown into a really, really good teammate.”
Santana needs three homers and four RBI to set career-highs in both categories. If his average stays at .289, then it’ll be 21 points higher than his career-high (.268) that he posted in 2013.
