Cleveland Indians starter Carlos Carrasco revealed he is battling leukemia, but remains optimistic despite the diagnosis.
Carrasco told Dominican TV station CDN 37 on Friday, July 5, about his diagnosis.
“At the end of May, they shut me down because they saw something wrong with my blood,” Carrasco told CDN 37 in Spanish. “The doctors got a little worried and they sent me for a blood test, another blood test. The blood levels were off, the platelets were really high.”
#Video Lanzador Carlos Carrasco revela a @MisterDeportes que padece de leucemia
No se pierda la entrevista completa el domingo a las 4:00 pm, por este canal @CDN37 https://t.co/0RNZOZe3mA
— CDN 37 (@CDN37) July 6, 2019
“The following week, my wife and I went to the hospital, and they told us I have leukemia. That’s one of the reasons why I’m not playing right now, but I’ll be back at the end of July.”
On Saturday, the Cleveland Indians shared on Twitter a video of Carrasco saying, “This is going to make me stronger than I’ve ever been.”
“This is going to make me stronger than I’ve ever been.” – Carlos Carrasco
Stay #CookieStrong. We ❤️ you! pic.twitter.com/KokfX0wayr
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 6, 2019
“I never thought I have something like this because I play baseball I’m like super healthy or something like that,” he continued. “You never know what’s going on inside your body.”
“I have a lot of people behind me helping me, my teammates, my family, it is making me stronger every day,” he added in the video.
Leukemia is a cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Following the reports on his diagnosis, several teammates and fans posted on social media about Carrasco.
Sportswriter and reporter Jon Morosi shared on Twitter, “Carlos Carrasco is, above all, a father to five children. He is beloved in the @Indians clubhouse, where teammates helped him study for the U.S. citizenship exam, which he passed in 2016. Everyone in the @MLB family cheers for him now. Best wishes to you, Carlos.”
Carlos Carrasco is, above all, a father to five children. He is beloved in the @Indians clubhouse, where teammates helped him study for the U.S. citizenship exam, which he passed in 2016. Everyone in the @MLB family cheers for him now. Best wishes to you, Carlos. #CookieStrong https://t.co/bxbk4Ykc0R
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 6, 2019
Teammate Jason Kipnis helped Carrasco research and understand what the diagnosis meant, and previously said of Carrasco to ESPN: “He’ll get through this with the help of everybody. I know the city will be very supportive of him. Every time anyone sees him they will wish him well and ask him how he’s doing. I’m sure he’ll still have a big smile on his face. He’s always in a good mood.”
Major League Baseball wrote on Twitter, “We wish Carlos Carrasco a full recovery with his battle with Leukemia.”
We wish Carlos Carrasco a full recovery with his battle with Leukemia.
❤ #CookieStrong pic.twitter.com/dyHkSy5rmj
— MLB (@MLB) July 6, 2019
Twitter moments also shared about Carrasco’s diagnosis.
After sharing his leukemia diagnosis with the world, Carlos Carrasco (@Cookie_Carrasco) says, “this is gonna make me stronger than I’ve ever been.” #CookieStronghttps://t.co/w8kpblwb8s
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) July 6, 2019
Carrasco, 32, has been one of the league’s most consistent pitchers in recent years, going 68-43 with a 3.27 ERA from 2014 to 2018, according to ESPN. He had a 4.98 ERA in 12 starts this season before being shut down.
