Major League Baseball

Indians' Carrasco healthy after dealing with heart problem

Published Apr. 9, 2015 2:58 a.m. ET

foxsports

HOUSTON (AP) Carlos Carrasco is happy to have a new four-year, $22 million contract and to have a heart condition that required non-invasive surgery under control.

Carrasco first revealed the heart condition and surgery to FoxSports.com on Tuesday night. On Wednesday after pitching the Indians to a 2-0 win over the Houston Astros, the right-hander acknowledged that dealing with the condition was frightening.

''It was a little bit scary,'' he said. ''But we did everything in October. I got the surgery. Everything now is fine.''

But the palpitations did return this spring, prompting doctors to prescribe medication to control his heartbeat. He now takes two pills a day and said that doctors assured him that if he continues to take them daily, the condition shouldn't return.

He described what symptoms he was feeling when he experienced the problem.

''My heartbeat was a little bit like excited. I think it was 120 heartbeat per minute - something like that,'' he said. ''Those guys in Cleveland told me to do the surgery so that's what I did. So now I feel fine.''

Now that he's on his medication he said he doesn't worry about his heart anymore.

''Before in the past yes,'' he said of worrying about it. ''But we kind of do everything now. So I feel good now.''

Indians manager Terry Francona is glad that Carrasco has dealt with this problem and it's behind him.

''I think it's safe to say that we were comfortable that he was getting the right medical treatment and he'd be fine,'' Francona said. ''It's not like a sprained wrist though, not something you mess around with.

''But I think everybody was comfortable knowing how it was taken care of and what he has to do and so it's not really an issue. I'm not trying to make light of anything, but it doesn't affect his pitching.''

Carrasco went 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA in 40 games, with 14 starts last season. He was great late in the year when he posted a 1.30 ERA in his last 10 starts.

The 28-year-old missed all of the 2012 season after having Tommy John surgery in 2011.

Carrasco had agreed to a one-year deal for $2,337,500 in January.