Carlos Carrasco: “I’m 100 percent right now”

Just a shade over three months since he took a comebacker on the hand, ending his 2016 season, Carlos Carrasco says he is “100 percent” and is expected to be in Arizona with the team this February.

Carrasco’s injury was devastating at the time, even leading to some local beat writers straight up calling the team’s playoff chances dead on arrival. But that didn’t happen, the Cleveland Indians weren’t doomed, and they finished the season two runs shy of accomplishing their ultimate goal.

The fact that they went their incredible playoff run without Carrasco often goes under-reported, but it will never stop being miraculous to me. Carrasco, who came into the season battling with Corey Kluber for the top spot in the rotation, missed roughly 10 regular season starts with a pair of injuries — a strained hamstring in April and this broken hand in September. But the Indians soldiered on with the Carrasco stuck in the dugout. Cheering, teaching, and combing.

Carrasco’s official injury diagnosis was a “non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal” which is a fancy way of saying “dude really screwed up his pinky finger.” A ball shot back from Ian Kinsler found its way to Carrasco’s hand, despite his best efforts to make himself a small target. You can see his immediate pain in the GIF below:

Carrasco still completed his usual round of offseason charity with an extra blue friend on his throwing hand.

I look forward to never seeing him wear a cast again.

The Tribe will head into 2017 with much of the same roster they ended 2016 with, plus the infusion of Carrasco, Danny Salazar, and outfielder Michael Brantley.