New York Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco could miss as much as a month due to an oblique injury.
The team announced today that an MRI revealed a low-grade strain.
The estimated time Carrasco will miss is between three-to-four weeks.
The 35-year-old suffered the injury during last night’s game against the Atlanta Braves.
Although there was a rain delay, Mets manager Buck Showalter said after last night’s 13-1 loss that the injury occurred when he threw his last pitch of the second inning.
Carrasco was just able to complete two innings where he gave up four hits and two runs.
On the season, Venezuelan-native holds a 3.92 earned run average (ERA) with 13 wins.
Who will replace Carrasco?
While the news is unfortunate for Carrasco and the Mets, the team does have a couple of options.
Tylor Megill, who has been in the Mets’ starting rotation for a chunk of the season, isn’t one of them because he’s still nursing an injury.
This week, Megill through a bullpen session for the first time since his shoulder injury in June.
Likewise, the two options will be between southpaw David Peterson or Trevor Williams.
In last weekend’s series against the Braves when the Mets needed an extra pitcher due to a doubleheader, he allowed just three hits and no runs over 5.1 innings.
Peterson has gotten a mix of bullpen and starting opportunities this year.
He holds a 3.30 ERA.
Williams, on the other hand, has been used in long relief situations, for the most part, this year.
The right-hander has a 3.02 ERA in 65.2 innings this season.
While there is no official word yet on the Met’s plans, Peterson is currently scheduled to pitch half of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies.
In other related Mets news, the team is reportedly calling up top 20 ranked MLB prospect Brett Baty, as third baseman Eduardo Escobar still labors what is described as “left side tightness.”
But tonight, the Mets will hope to rebound against the Braves after Monday’s debacle.
The good news is Carrasco is set to rejoin the Mets before the season ends – just in time to help the team make a postseason run.
The Mets sit 4.5 games ahead of the Braves in the National League East division.
