Carrasco, making his first spring appearance since experiencing elbow discomfort during his start on March 13, tossed three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out two in Friday's Cactus League game against the Cubs.
The Cubs deployed a makeshift lineup, but the importance of Carrasco's smooth performance shouldn't be understated. Health has been the righty's biggest foe over the past year, and he received a huge scare earlier in camp when his throwing elbow flared up. However, he appears to be back on track and feels confident there's nothing to worry about moving forward. Over the next 10 days, the Indians will need to decide how to handle Carrasco's comeback in terms of the rotation alignment. Due to early-season off days, manager Terry Francona has the option of not using a fifth starter until April 15. If the club feels Carrasco needs more time to get his innings and pitch count up, he could be slotted in the back of the rotation.