Cleveland Indians move Carlos Carrasco to bullpen
By Brad Rowland
Jordan Bastian of MLB.com brings the details on the move:
"Following Monday’s 6-3 loss to the Angels, manager Terry Francona said that Carrasco will have a new home in the bullpen. Right-hander Zach McAllister will start in place of Carrasco on Wednesday against the Angels on short rest.“We’ve put Carlos in the bullpen,” Francona said. “That way we kind of fortify our bullpen. Hopefully, we can get him on a roll and he can help us out there.”"
In those 22 innings across four starts, Carrasco has been wholly ineffective, posting a 6.95 ERA, but if you examine the peripherals closely, they display a certain level of bad luck for the 27-year-old. Carrasco has a 3.68 FIP during his four outings, and he has struck out more than a batter per 9 innings while maintaining an unsightly (but not terrible) 3.68 walks per 9 innings.
Still, he was electric in a brief stint in the bullpen last season, and with a plethora of options at his disposal, Francona has chosen the quick hook. Rumors indicate that young stud Trevor Bauer could get the call in the rotation moving forward, but until that is announced, it is unofficial.
Carrasco could return to the rotation at a later time and date, but if he excels in his new role, look for the Indians to keep him there for as long as it takes.