Fausto Carmona is now known as Roberto Hernandez following his January arrest in the Dominican Republic for falsifying his identity, but Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports that he may soon be cleared for a work visa.
Leo Nunez of the Marlins was suspended eight weeks after it was revealed that his actual name is Juan Carlos Oviedo, but Indians general manager Chris Antonetti explained that he’s hopeful Hernandez/Carmona will avoid a suspension in large part because he agreed to re-work his contract and refund the team millions of dollars.
In an effort to speed up the visa process the Indians petitioned the State Department and Hernandez hired a lobbyist to work on his behalf. Bastian also notes that Ohio senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman “have also been involved in the case.”
All of which doesn’t necessarily mean Hernandez would be ready to jump right back into the Indians’ rotation once cleared for the work visa, but he’s been throwing regularly at the Indians’ complex in the Dominican Republic and his impending arrival may convince the team not to pursue starting pitching help at the trade deadline.
Carmona struggled last season, starting 32 games with a 5.25 ERA, but was an All-Star in 2010 and the 31-year-old right-hander has a 4.59 ERA in 150 career starts.
