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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 the Mets will begin Saturday.

Showalter said left-hander Joey Lucchesi will start Tuesday’s 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 April 26, is scheduled to start Friday night 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 next Monday 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 Saturday and Sunday. The NL East rivals were set to play a doubleheader Monday before New York heads to Detroit, where showers are in the forecast for Tuesday.

“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 4⅔ scoreless innings in a rehab start Friday 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.

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Rodriguez makes history with another 20-20 year

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Rodriguez makes history with another 20-20 year

SEATTLE — Julio Rodriguez homered to become the first player in major league history with 20 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases in each of his first four seasons, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Sunday.

Rodriguez hit a two-run shot in the third inning — his 100th career homer — and the slugging and speedy center fielder also added his 21st stolen base of the season after singling in the fifth inning.

“That’s a very big accomplishment,” Rodríguez told reporters, according to MLB.com. “I know my family’s very happy, and I’m sure they’re thinking of all the things I had to do to be able to get here. To be able to do it with this team and this organization is awesome. I’m just excited to see where things are going to go from here.”

Jorge Polanco added a solo shot in the second, and shortstop J.P. Crawford smacked a two-run blast in the fourth against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (10-4), who became the fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 1,800 career strikeouts by games and innings Sunday.

The Rangers kept things close by pushing across three runs against Mariners starter Logan Evans (5-4), but tallied only one run against the Mariners bullpen before closer Andrés Muñoz locked down his 25th save of the season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Marlins def. Yankees, earn 1st-ever sweep of N.Y.

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Marlins def. Yankees, earn 1st-ever sweep of N.Y.

MIAMI — Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer and the Miami Marlins defeated the New York Yankees 7-3 on Sunday, completing their first-ever sweep of the Yankees in a series of three or more games.

The Marlins (55-55) reached .500 for the first time since April 15, when the team was 8-8. Since June 13, the Marlins are 30-14; that’s tied with the 2003 team for the most wins in a 44-game span in franchise history, according to ESPN Research.

The 2003 Marlins went on to beat the Yankees in the World Series in six games.

Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (5-5) pitched six innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts and one walk. His only blemish came against the first batter he faced. Trent Grisham drove Cabrera’s 98.1 mph four-seam fastball to right-center.

Miami rookie Jakob Marsee, who made his major league debut on Friday, was 2-for-4 and finished a single short of the cycle.

Stowers made it 6-1 when he connected on an 0-2 fastball from Brent Headrick, who entered in the fourth with two on after starter Luis Gil (0-1) was lifted 3⅓ innings into his season debut.

Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, struck out three and surrendered five runs and five hits while issuing four walks in his return from a high-grade lat strain. He threw 77 pitches.

Gil’s shaky debut comes at a rough point in the season for the Yankees, whose inconsistency has prompted a rash of criticism, the latest coming from former Yankees stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez on Fox’s pregame show Saturday night.

“They make way too many mistakes,” Jeter said. “Way too many mistakes, and you can’t get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams.”

Added Rodriguez: “Where’s the accountability?”

Boone addressed those criticisms before Sunday’s game, saying it comes with the territory of being the Yankees, but he added after the loss that it’s “gut-check” time for his club.

New York’s weekend series at Miami included the Yankees blowing a six-run lead in a wild 13-12 loss on Friday, before a 2-0 loss on Saturday.

The Yankees had a seven-game lead in the AL East in late May. By July 2, the lead was gone and the Yankees have been looking up at Toronto in the division ever since. The red-hot Boston Red Sox, who were more than 10 games behind the Yankees about two months ago, have overtaken their rival for the second spot in the AL East and AL wild-card lead.

“It’s getting late,” Boone said. “And it’s certainly not too late for us. I am confident that we’re going to get it together. But that’s all it is right now is, you know, it’s empty until we start doing it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Rodriguez makes history with 4th 20-20 season

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Rodriguez makes history with another 20-20 year

SEATTLE — Julio Rodriguez homered to become the first player in major league history with 20 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases in each of his first four seasons, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Sunday.

Rodriguez hit a two-run shot in the third inning — his 100th career homer — and the slugging and speedy center fielder also added his 21st stolen base of the season after singling in the fifth inning.

Jorge Polanco added a solo shot in the second, and shortstop J.P. Crawford smacked a two-run blast in the fourth against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (10-4), who became the fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 1,800 career strikeouts by games and innings Sunday.

The Rangers kept things close by pushing across three runs against Mariners starter Logan Evans (5-4), but tallied only one run against the Mariners bullpen before closer Andrés Muñoz locked down his 25th save of the season.

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