Following 2 1/2 months on the disabled list, Reds ace Johnny Cueto has only a scant amount of days to show he can still help his team down the stretch, and possibly the playoffs.
The most important part of the Reds’ 6-1 victory over the Astros on Monday was that Cueto showed no outward signs of discomfort from the strained right lat muscle that put him on the DL three times this season.
A close second behind his good health was Cueto’s very good results. He dealt five scoreless innings on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts, while throwing 82 pitches.
“It’s good to see Cueto come back and throw like he did,” said Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, who had a four-RBI night. “We think if he can come back and pitch like he has when he was healthy, we’re obviously getting a No. 1 [starter] back. Not a lot of teams can say that. I’m pumped to have him back. He’s fun to play behind.”
No one was having more fun than Cueto on the mound.
“I don’t have words to describe it. It’s a really amazing feeling for me,” Cueto said via translator Tomas Vera. “For that long a time without pitching, and I came into today feeling really great. I feel really good today.”
Cueto’s return came on a night when the stars seemed to align for once in the Reds’ favor. Losses by both tied first-place teams in the National League Central, the Cardinals and Pirates, put third-place Cincinnati 2 1/2 games back with 11 left to play in the regular season.
Of the five hits on Cueto’s line, two were infield singles and two others were soft singles on the ground. Following Houston’s first hit — a Jose Altuve one-out infield single in the first inning, Cueto immediately got Trevor Crowe to bounce to a perfectly positioned Cozart for the double play.
In the second inning, Chris Carter sharply lined a two-out double to left field. The inning ended when Carlos Corporan flied out to the warning track in right field.
“We just hope that he continues to be well and continues to get better and his endurance gets better,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “That’s a tremendous shot in the arm, and boost for our team.”
As far as velocity, Cueto’s fastball was generally in the 91-94 mph range and he touched 95 mph once. The Astros discovered quickly that Cueto did not appear to pitch like a guy who missed so much time. His last start was June 28 at Texas, when soreness under his arm ended his night after only one inning.
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