Carlos Carrasco could return soon to depleted Mets rotation - MLB

NEW YORK — Carlos Carrasco could return to the New York Mets next week, potentially making whole a rotation that has been ravaged by injuries this season.

Carrasco, who has been sidelined since April 16 because of right elbow inflammation, began throwing last week. Manager Buck Showalter said the 36-year-old was “… kind of semi-penciled” in for the rotation cycle.

Showalter said left-hander Joey Lucchesi will start the series opener against the Tigers in Detroit, after which co-aces Max Scherzer (suspension) and Justin Verlander (teres strain) are expected to return to the rotation for the final two games of the series.

Japanese rookie Kodai Senga, who last pitched on April 26, is scheduled to start at Citi Field against the Colorado Rockies. Showalter said the Mets hoped the early break would keep Senga – who pitched once a week in Japan – on a routine he’s accustomed to while also preparing him to potentially pitch every fifth or sixth day later in the season.

The Mets have an off day scheduled for before beginning a seven-game road trip to Cincinnati and Washington.

“A lot of variables,” Showalter said. “We’re trying to get the rest people need. We’re trying to see the off day coming there. And then all of a sudden, weather happens and it fluctuates.”

The Mets’ games against the Atlanta Braves were rained out over the weekend. The NL East rivals were set to play a doubleheader before New York headed to Detroit, where showers are in the forecast.

“We tried to project where Carlos is going to be back,” Showalter said. “There’s a lot of factors here.”

Senga is the only projected member of the Mets’ rotation to take every scheduled turn this season. Carrasco was 0-2 with an 8.56 ERA in three starts before going on the injured list. Scherzer, who was ejected from a start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 19 for using a foreign substance, is 2-1 with a 3.72 ERA in four starts.

Verlander has yet to make his Mets debut after getting injured in his final spring training start. He tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a rehab start for Double-A Binghamton.

Left-hander José Quintana, signed to a two-year deal in December, suffered a broken left rib in March and is on the 60-day injured list.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.