CLEVELAND — On Sunday, Carlos Carrasco made his highly anticipated return to the big leagues.
And it's not just batters the Cleveland Indians pitcher is looking to 'punchout.'
One day after Carrasco pitched in his first Major League game since being diagnosed with leukemia in June, the 32-year-old right-hander announced his 'Punchout Cancer with Cookie' campaign. For every strikeout Carrasco records through the month of September, Carrasco will donate $200 to childhood cancer research.
In addition to his own donations, New Balance will match its athletes’ donations, and any consumer donations made on punchoutcancerwithcookie.com, to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, up to $200,000.
RELATED: 'I stand': Carlos Carrasco honored at MLB All-Star Game during 'Stand Up to Cancer' ceremony
September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
"I have cancer but cancer doesn't have me," Carrasco says in a video announcing the campaign. "To be honest with you, I didn't realize what was going on. They said, 'Leukemia' and I said, 'what is that?' I don't know if I was so nervous at the time, but I couldn't understand.
"I'm always happy. It's not like, 'ok, I'm going to be sad because I have this.' No. I cannot do that. I need to be strong. The only time that I remember that I have cancer is when I take my pills. That's it. For the rest of the day, I'm me.
"I have a lot of people behind me. First, God. My family, my kids, teammates, the fans. There's a lot of people involved. Everyone is behind me right now. The only thing I can do for them is just be positive. Normally I'm a strong guy but now even more.
"This is nothing for me."
In June, the Indians announced that they had placed Carrasco on the Injured List with an unspecified blood condition. One month later, he revealed that condition was leukemia.
On Sunday -- nearly two months after receiving a stadium-wide ovation during the MLB All-Star Game at Progressive Field -- Carrasco made his return to the Indians, making a relief appearance vs. the Tampa Bay Rays. Appearing in one inning, Carrasco threw 19 pitches, allowing 2 hits and 1 run in what marked his first big league appearance in 93 days.
