One of the most emotional scenes in baseball’s recent history played out on Sunday as Cleveland Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco returned to the mound after battling leukemia.
The veteran righty was put on the injured list after being diagnosed with cancer in June. Miraculously, less than three months after his diagnosis, Carrasco rejoined the team and made his first appearance against the Tampa Bay Rays in the heat of a playoff race.
The Venezuelan hurler was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia back in June and took time off from baseball to undergo treatment. Initially, no one was sure if or when Carrasco would return to the team. He was honored with an emotional moment at Progressive Field during July’s All-Star Game.
Few expected that the veteran pitcher would come back so soon. As he prepared to take the mound in a relief appearance in Tampa, players from both teams and the crowd at Tropicana Field stood to give him a standing ovation in what was a powerful and emotional moment.
Carrasco pitched one inning, allowing a run in an 8-2 Cleveland loss. That seemed insignificant in comparison to the magnitude and joy of the moment when the hurler took to the mound after a battle against a scary illness.
