Indians RHP Carrasco begins return from leukemia

Carlos Carrasco touched 97 mph and topped 95 on his first four pitches on Monday night in his first outing since being diagnosed with leukemia.

The Cleveland Indians righthander pitched one inning out of the bullpen for Double-A Akron, his first game since being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a treatable form of cancer, earlier this season.

"It was great just to see my kids with smiles," Carrasco said. "It feels great."

The 32-year-old completed a pair of batting practice sessions on consecutive days last week without issue.

There is no timetable for the return of Carrasco to the Indians. He last pitched in a game on May 30.

"Even if this just helps him feel better, that's OK with us," Indians manager Terry Francona said, per Cleveland.com. "We'd love for him to come back and pitch, but if this is what helps him get through the day, if that's what it leads to, we're OK with that, too."

Carrasco owns a 4-6 mark with a 4.98 ERA in 12 starts this season after signing a four-year, $47 million contract extension on December.

Carrasco won 35 games over the previous two seasons. He has a career mark of 83-68 with a 3.78 ERA in 219 appearances (183 starts). He has spent his entire 10-year career with the Indians.

--Field Level Media