PITTSBURGH -- Bisons pitcher D.J. Carrasco was pretty philosophical Wednesday night in Coca-Cola Field when I asked him about the New York Mets. The veteran signed a two-year, $2.4 million deal with the Amazins in the winter but was in Buffalo by the end of April. He had middling results at first but felt was starting to go his way, and it didn't hurt that his pitches were really starting to bite. The result was one earned run over the last 15 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts.
"The ball is in [the Mets'] court," Carrasco told me after throwing 5 2/3 no-hit frames but getting a no-decision against Indianapolis. "They're the big team and they can do what they want to do. The most I can do is stay here and throw strikes, put up numbers, get good reports and hopefully they like what they see."
Carrasco and I had a good laugh about Wednesday night's chat this morning here in PNC Park. He thought he was ready for the big leagues but had no idea the call was coming this soon. The Mets obviously liked what they heard from Buffalo manager Tim Teufel and pitching coach Ricky Bones because Carrasco joined the Mets today. It was a well-deserved callup (of course, it now leaves a huge hole in the Buffalo rotation).
"[The Mets] wanted me to get back to my old self," Carrasco said. "It was a combination of mechanical and release point issues. Ricky did a great job down there and really stuck with me. He kept me on to the basics and let me grow from there, didn't let my mind wander trying different things."
Mets manager Terry Collins confirmed Carrasco will be a "multiple-innings" guy out of the bullpen for now. Carrasco had made 151 big-league appearances the last four years with four teams, all but two in relief, since his last minor-league stint in 2008 at Charlotte.
"I've been a reliever for a large part of my career but it's good to know I can have success starting if they need that spot guy," Carrasco said. "I hadn't had to do the minor league thing in a while but it was good. I went down there and the Lord showed me a lot of things I need to do. You get comfortable here and you forget about that world down there. It makes you appreciate what you have here but I really believe I'm a big-league pitcher.
"I needed it though. To me, I was non-competitive. ... It was unfortunate I couldn't be me from the get-go for them and hopefully I've gotten back to that point."
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
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