CLEVELAND _ The Indians received some major relief with the results of tests done on Carlos Carrasco's throwing elbow, which all came back negative on Monday.
The results confirmed the diagnosis that Carrasco sustained only a contusion on his right elbow when he was drilled by a line drive hit by the Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer on Saturday.
"We dodged a huge bullet," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "The hope would be, once he gets the swelling out of there, that he'll come quick because it's a bruise and it could have been a lot worse."
Carrasco will be treated for a few days and then reevaluated on Wednesday to determine a timetable for his return. The fact that there isn't a fracture, though, drastically reduces how long he could be sidelined.
Carrasco has had some terrible luck with being hit by comebackers, including a line drive by Ian Kinsler that ended his 2016 season and forced him to miss the entire postseason and a ball hit by Melky Cabrera in 2015 that hit his face, among others.
Francona said he hasn't seen the earlier incidents change Carrasco's mechanics, which can happen with pitchers.
"Yeah, sure, guys get a little jumpy," Francona said. "It's easy to tell him, 'Hey, don't worry about it,' [but] I'm not the one standing out there. Yeah, I certainly have [seen that] but Carlos ... I've never seen any ill effects before and I don't anticipate any going forward. I think he's just glad that it's a bruise and see how quick he can get better."
The initial plan with the starting rotation is to keep Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber on their current days, with Adam Plutko going to the bullpen until he is needed as a fifth starter on June 26 in St. Louis. Bieber for the time being has slotted into Carrasco's spot.
The Indians are off on Thursday, giving them some flexibility.
