Bruce Bochy Provides Positive Injury Update on Johnny Cueto
By Brian Cass
As San Francisco Giants pitcher Johnny Cueto continues to recover from his Tommy John surgery, reports have indicated that he should be ready to go once September rolls around.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy was able to provide some positive news on Cueto's recovery, stating that the pitcher will start pitching in Arizona league games starting in August. If his starts go well, there's no reason we won't see Cueto back on the Giants mound come September, or perhaps even sooner.
Johnny Cueto will start pitching in Arizona league games August 1, Bochy said. He already might be facing live hitting. #sfgiants
— Henry Schulman (@hankschulman) July 16, 2019
Cueto hasn't appeared in a game since last season, where he started nine games and posted a 3-2 record along with a 3.23 ERA. The 33-year-old pitcher won't have an easy road back, especially given his age, but Giants faithful would love to see him back out there sooner rather than later.
Standing with a 45-49 record, a playoff appearance may be a long shot at this point in the season, but we've seen crazier things happen in baseball. If Cueto can come back in time for a late season run, he could provide some stability to the Giants pitching staff, as they currently rank 15th in baseball with a 4.46 team ERA.
Bochy said Johnny Cueto will start pitching in rehab games in Arizona the first week of August. A nice boost for a team suddenly hoping to chase a playoff spot in September.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) July 16, 2019
Cueto could end up being just what the Giants need to reach the postseason. We'll have to see how it all works out for him once he starts pitching again come August.