Carrasco healthy, ramping up innings

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The fact Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco came out of Monday's Minor League appearance feeling healthy is an important start. But he will have to ramp it up in his next two appearances if he is to start the team's second game of the regular season.
Carrasco threw 33 pitches in 1 2/3 innings against Reds' Minor Leaguers and his longest outing this spring was three innings on March 8.
"We haven't gotten the repetition we were hoping for, but it's still nice that he's healthy because we've all seen when he gets his legs under him," manager Terry Francona said Wednesday morning.
Carrasco flew to Florida to be with his wife, Karelis, for the birth of the couple's fifth child early Wednesday morning. He is scheduled to start Friday against the Cubs in Mesa and likely again March 29 against the Reds.

Those outings would put Carrasco in line to follow Corey Kluber's Opening Day start in Texas. But Francona and the Indians aren't going to rush anything.
"We do have the ability to back him up a little bit in the season because of the off-day [after the three-game series against the Rangers]," Francona said. "There's some things we can do. A lot of it is going to depend on how he's feeling, and where we feel he's at and where he feels he's at." 
All this uncertainty -- in a spring filled with it for Cleveland -- started when Carrasco felt discomfort in his right elbow when he threw his breaking ball his last Cactus League start, March 13. An MRI the next day showed only minor swelling.
But it forced Carrasco, who missed the 2012 season because of Tommy John surgery, to take a break and he fell behind the rest of the starting pitchers.
Worth noting
• Left fielder Michael Brantley went 1-for-3 in his second Cactus League game as he works his way back from arm issues that derailed each of the past two seasons.

"He hasn't played in so long, I think his concentration is pretty good. He knows it's been a while," Francona said. "He looks healthy to me. He looks good. It's just now bouncing back and maintaining, as opposed to what he got last year when he'd get into these games and then he'd feel a little weaker. He's not having that [now]."
Brantley will play again Thursday in his first back-to-back scenario.
"Every day it seems like he conquers a new hurdle, and as long as he feels good we'll all be smiling," Francona said.
• First baseman Carlos Santana made his return to the Indians lineup on Wednesday after playing in World Baseball Classic the past two weeks. The Indians also will get back relievers Andrew Miller (Team USA) and Joe Colòn (Puerto Rico) and shortstop Francisco Lindor (Puerto Rico) after Wednesday night's championship game.
Asked if he was relieved the Classic was coming to a close, Francona had a one-word answer: "Yes."
Santana went 1-for-3 in 5 1/2 innings in his return.
• Outfielders Tyler Naquin and Brandon Guyer played in a Minor League game Wednesday. Naquin, recovering from a knee injury, was the designated hitter.
Outfielder Austin Jackson, playing strong this spring to garner a roster spot as a non-roster invitee, will do the same Thursday.
"We're trying to balance getting our guys at-bats and not overdoing some things," Francona said.
Quotable
"I try not to even think about it in a way like it's fantasy baseball or rotisserie league, because you're dealing with humans and families and careers." -- Francona on late-spring roster decisions