Carlos Carrasco, the 38-year-old veteran right-hander, is back with the Atlanta Braves… kinda. After being designated for assignment last week, clearing waivers, and flirting briefly with free agency, Carrasco has returned on a fresh minor league deal.
He’ll head to Triple-A Gwinnett and serve as what we politely call a “depth arm” — or an emergency option for a Braves rotation that’s been held together with duct tape and hope.
Now, let’s not sugarcoat it — Carrasco’s 2024 has been rough. Like, really rough. He started the year with the Yankees, where he posted a 5.91 ERA across eight appearances, mostly starts. He got bumped off the 40-man and hung around their Triple-A club until Atlanta — desperate after a tidal wave of pitching injuries — grabbed him for cash right before the deadline.
And hey, the debut with the Braves? Actually solid! Carrasco threw a quality start against the Reds on deadline day. But then the wheels came off — six earned runs in back-to-back outings, including a disastrous two-inning meltdown. Final tally in a Braves uniform (so far): 13 2/3 innings, 9.88 ERA.
Not Carrasco’s First Bad Slump in MLB
This isn’t an isolated cold streak either. Carrasco’s been leaking oil for a while now. Since 2023, he’s thrown nearly 240 major league innings with a ballooned 6.36 ERA. The velocity? Dropping. Strikeouts? Down. Walks and home runs? Up. It’s the pitching version of the aging curve we all fear.
But look, the Braves didn’t bring him back thinking he’s a savior. They brought him back because they need bodies. Spencer Strider, Erick Fedde, Bryce Elder, Hurston Waldrep, and Joey Wentz are hanging in there, but it’s not exactly Maddux-Glavine-Smoltz 2.0. And with Chris Sale on the comeback trail — fresh off a rehab outing where he threw 56 pitches over four innings of one-run ball — the cavalry is coming… slowly.
Until then? Carrasco’s back in Gwinnett, keeping warm, staying ready. He’s not Plan A, B, or C. But in this season of pitching roulette, don’t be surprised if he gets another shot — even if Braves fans might cringe a little when they hear his name announced.
Baseball is a game of second chances. For Carrasco, this might be chance number five — but hey, if you’ve got a pulse and a working arm right now, you’re staying on speed dial in Atlanta.
