In early June the Cleveland Indians announced that starter Carlos Carrasco was “stepping away from baseball activities” and had been placed on the injured list due to “a recently diagnosed blood condition.” They provided no further detail as it is a non-baseball condition. They said that more information would be shared at Carrasco’s discretion. They asked everyone to “keep Carlos and his family in their thoughts in this challenging time.”
Last night, in a snippet of an interview Carrasco gave to Frank Camilo of Dominican Republic news network CDN 37, Carrasco says that he has been diagnosed with leukemia.
The full interview will air Sunday afternoon, but the video below is being shared now. It’s in Spanish, but in it Carrasco says that after having problems with his energy level, he underwent tests that revealed abnormally high platelet levels and was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after. Carrasco said the condition is currently “under control,” though what that means in a medical sense is unclear:
Last month the Indians said that they expected Carrasco to be back with the team some time this season, but it’s unclear whether that’s still the case.
Baseball at this point, of course, is not the most important concern. Our thoughts go to Carrasco, his family and the Indians in this challenging time.
