Carlos Carrasco injury: Mets in more trouble after another pitcher joins IL

The New York Mets have been hit hard by injuries this season, and the latest setback comes in the form of Carlos Carrasco landing on the 15-day injury list due to right elbow inflammation. This news is especially troubling for the Mets, as Carrasco was slated to start against the San Francisco Giants on Friday.

Carrasco's first three starts of the season have been less than stellar, as he has an 8.56 ERA over 13.2 innings pitched. His velocity has also gone down, and he he has walked as many batters (eight) as he has struck out.

Although he had his best outing of the season in his last start, he came away with abnormal soreness and swelling in his elbow. This prompted the Mets to send him back to New York for an MRI, the results of which are expected to be known by Wednesday.

Carlos Carrasco came out of his best outing of the season with elbow soreness and swelling.

Carlos Carrasco has a history of elbow issues, having undergone surgery to remove a bone fragment from the joint just 18 months ago. He also missed his final Grapefruit League start due to "elbow maintenance," which the team described as typical for him. It's unclear to what extent Carrasco experienced continued discomfort into April.

Who will replace Carlos Carrasco?

With Carlos Carrasco out, the Mets will need to rely on their starting pitching depth. However, that depth has also been hit hard by injuries. Justin Verlander and José Quintana are both on the IL, with Verlander expected to return in May and Quintana not until July at the earliest. This has forced the Mets to make David Peterson and Tylor Megill regular members of the rotation, where both have experienced some success.

The Mets have suffered many major losses including Edwin Diaz and Justin Verlander

The Mets will need to fill Carrasco's spot in the rotation for Friday's game against the Giants. The Mets have announced that they have recalled Jeff Bringham from Syracuse. The team could also opt for a bullpen game if they want to push reliever Tommy Hunter for multiple innings, as he is due to return from the IL in the coming days.

The loss of Carlos Carrasco is another blow for a Mets team that has already had to overcome multiple injuries to key players this season. It remains to be seen how long Carrasco will be out and how the team will adjust to his absence.