Indians to Activate Carlos Carrasco Sunday for First Time Since Leukemia Diagnosis

Carrasco was diagnosed with leukemia in June.

The Cleveland Indians plan to activate right-hand pitcher Carlos Carrasco on Sunday, nearly three months after he was diagnosed with leukemia.

Speaking Wednesday on MLB Network Radio, Indians manager Terry Francona said if Carrasco’s scheduled outing Thursday for Triple-A Columbus goes well, he will be activated from the 60-day injured list for the series finale against the Rays and could see action out of the bullpen.

"Carrasco is a big part of us," Francona said. "He knows he's cared about. It's going to be fun having him back."

Carrasco, who was diagnosed in June, told a TV station in the Dominican Republic about his condition while on a visit to a hospital in July. The 32-year-old right-hander revealed that he was feeling lethargic for several weeks in May and told CDN 37 that doctors “saw something different in my blood.”

Carrasco was placed on the injured list on June 5 with an unspecified diagnosed blood disorder. The Indians previously said Carrasco was "stepping away from baseball activities to explore the optimal treatment and recovery options" and that they expected him to return "at some point this season."

In December, Carrasco signed a four-year, $47 million contract with Cleveland, where he has spent his entire 10-year career.

Carrasco won 17 games last season and went 18-6 in 2017, when he finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting. He was 4-6 with a 4.98 ERA in 12 starts this season prior to going on the injured list.