Phils might plug gap with 'electric' Carrasco

"I used the word 'electric,' " Nichols, pitching coach for the Phillies' triple-A Lehigh Valley club, said yesterday. "His stuff was electric."

Carrasco pitched 61/3 innings of one-run ball in a 6-1 victory over Indianapolis. It was the latest in a string of strong starts for the highly regarded prospect who is under consideration to fill a vacancy in the big-league club's rotation Thursday night in Atlanta.

Carrasco, 22, is 4-7 with a 4.92 ERA in 15 starts for the IronPigs. However, he has shined in his last three starts, allowing just six earned runs in 192/3 innings. He has held opponents to two or fewer earned runs in five of his last seven starts. He pitched at least into the seventh inning in each of those five starts.

"I hadn't seen him since April," said Phillies assistant general manager Benny Looper, who watched Carrasco's start Friday. "He pitched a good game. He's made improvement."

Enough to help a big-league club in need of pitching?

"He's in the discussion," said Looper, who watched another candidate, righthander Drew Carpenter, pitch against Norfolk last night. Looper said triple-A pitchers Kyle Kendrick, Gustavo Chacin and Rodrigo Lopez also could be candidates.

Carrasco, a Venezuelan, is the youngest of the group and the only one without big-league experience. In fact, he has made just 21 starts above double A. While judging Carrasco's physical readiness, organization officials have to consider his mental readiness.

"We have this conversation internally," Looper said. "But you never really know how a young player will react to the big leagues until he gets there."

Nichols said that organization officials have not consulted him about Thursday's rotation opening. That could be because they aren't sure whether Thursday's starter will come from within the organization. The team is trying to trade for pitching. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is having daily discussions with officials from other clubs as well as with his scouts and advisers. Former Phillies assistant GM Mike Arbuckle, now with Kansas City, has watched Lehigh Valley the last two nights. The Royals could have several pitchers available, including Brian Bannister and Gil Meche.

If the Phils promote a pitcher from within, Nichols said he would not hesitate to recommend any of his starters.

"I would say they'd have some choices," Nichols said.

There have been indications that the Phils are leaning toward Carrasco, who has been rated as their top pitching prospect the last three years by Baseball America. Carrasco recently was passed on the prospect ladder by Kyle Drabek, but the Phils will not rush the 21-year-old righthander who had elbow reconstruction surgery in July 2007 and is pitching at double-A Reading.

Nichols was reluctant to say what he would tell organization leaders if they asked him whether Carrasco was ready for the majors.

"Nobody has asked me," he said, "so I can't answer that."

He did say he believed that Carrasco could hold his own.

"The way he has thrown his last few starts – yes," Nichols said. "You'd like to see more success here, see if he can continue it, but he does have stuff that would play at the big-league level."

That stuff includes a fastball that goes about 92 m.p.h. and can hit 95. Carrasco has an excellent change-up and has made great strides with his curveball after learning a new grip from Brett Myers in spring training. Recently, Carrasco added a slider.

"His curveball was a go-to pitch [Friday]," Nichols said. "The change-up had always been his go-to pitch."

Carrasco struggled in May, but Nichols said he grew from those struggles.

Though he said that he believes he is a "big-league pitcher," Carrasco is not stressing over what the team might do.

"If they call me, I'll go and do my best," he said. "Sometimes I've thought about it, and it hurt my focus. Now, all I'm worried about is my job here."

Contact staff writer Jim Salisbury at 215-854-4983

or jsalisbury@phillynews.com.