Giants Pitcher Cueto Out With Inflamed Elbow; Will Not Need Surgery
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco Giants ace Johnny Cueto has been diagnosed with a sprain in his right elbow and will require rest not season-ending and career-threatening Tommy John surgery, the team announced Monday.
Cueto will be lost for at least six weeks and will join the Giants other ace -- Madison Bumgarner -- on the sidelines. Bumgarner is just starting to begin his road back to the mound after suffering a broken finger during Spring Training.
Bumgarner is expected to be back in the lineup sometime in June.
Meanwhile, Cueto visited noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews on Monday and is on the disabled list last week with an inflamed elbow. He was off to one of the best starts of his career, going 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA in five starts until he was injured.
Cueto's spot in the rotation will be filled by rookie left-hander Andrew Suarez, who has pitched well in his three starts with the Giants and picked up his is first Major League win on Sunday at Atlanta.
Suarez is 1-1 with a 3.06 ERA and has 18 strikeouts and 2 walks in 17 innings of work.
Long a team relying solely on its pitching, the Giants have ridden to a 19-15 record on the strength of their hitting. They headed in Philadelphia for a Monday contest with the Phillies after sweeping a weekend series with Atlanta, outscoring the Braves by a combined score of 24-9.
