MLB Team Report – Cincinnati Reds – INSIDE PITCH
Reds manager Dusty Baker’s list of concerns about Johnny Cueto upon his return from the disabled list was short.
“I only had one worry about Johnny Cueto: Is his arm OK?” Baker said. “Other than that, I wasn’t worried about Johnny Cueto.”
Cueto, who had been the DL since June 5 (retroactive to June 1) with a strained lat, went six innings and allowed one run on five hits as the reds beat Milwaukee 5-1 on Sunday in his return. He is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA. He’s allowed two runs on nine hits over 21 innings over his last three starts.
“Johnny knows he can make the big pitch when he needs to,” Baker said. “This guy has learned to pitch.”
Cueto gave up a first inning home run to Carlos Gomez. Cueto ended up throwing 20 pitches in the first.
“The first inning, I had a lot of thoughts on my mind,” Cueto said through interpreter Tomas Vera. “I was thinking too much. I was trying to be perfect and making sure everything was OK. Thank God, the inning was over.
“(Cesar) Izturis came over and said, ‘Hey, you’re good. Do what you have to do. Just throw. If it’s broken again, we’ll fix it.’ I came back with a different mentality.”
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MLB Team Report – Cincinnati Reds – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 42-28
STREAK: Won one
PAST 10 GAMES: 6-4
NEXT: Pirates (Francisco Liriano, 5-2, 2.36) at Reds (Mike Leake, 6-3, 2.76)
PLAYER NOTES:
–CF Shin-Soo Choo was given a day off Sunday, a rarity for the Reds center fielder who has played in all but two games this season. Reds manager Dusty Baker said Choo is struggling at the plate and still adjusting to the rigors of playing center. Baker did not want to rest Choo during the upcoming series in Oakland and Texas since he’s familiar with those teams after spending four seasons in the American League with Cleveland and Seattle.
–RHP Alfredo Simon accomplished something Sunday that no Reds pitcher had since 2009. Simon earned a three-inning save, the first since Micah Owings did it in Sept. 2009, vs. Pittsburgh. Most importantly, Simon helped rest the Reds’ bullpen heading into a key series against the Pirates. In his three innings in a 5-1 win over Milwaukee, Simon allowed two hits and struck out six, including the final five batters he faced to earn his first save this season.
–OF Chris Heisey will begin a rehab assignment Monday at Triple-A Louisville. It’s the second attempt at a rehab stint for Heisey, who’s been on the DL since April 29 with a strained right hamstring. Earlier this month, Heisey reinjured his hamstring during his first rehab appearance. Heisey is hitting just .173 with three homers and five RBIs in 23 games.
–LHP Sean Marshall said Sunday that he expects to return to the Reds’ bullpen in three weeks or less. Marshall, on the disabled list since May 24 with a sprained left shoulder, was more cautious during his second stint on the shelf this season by ceasing all baseball activity for two weeks to allow time to heal. It appears to have paid off. Throwing has been going well and Marshall could begin long-toss as early as Monday.
–RHP Pedro Villarreal’s latest stint in the major leagues lasted only a day. Villarreal was recalled from Triple-A on Saturday only as a precaution in case the Reds needed an extra arm out of the bullpen. It was Villarreal’s second stint with Cincinnati. He made an emergency start for the Reds on June 5 when Johnny Cueto was placed on the DL, giving up six earned runs and three homers in 3 2/3 innings.
–LHP Tony Cingrani is staying in the big leagues, for now. Reds manager Dusty Baker indicated Sunday that Cingrani will provide insurance in case Johnny Cueto, who was reinstated from the DL on Sunday, has a setback. Cingrani also could be used as a left-handed specialist in the bullpen with Sean Marshall on the DL. Baker would not commit to a set role for Cingrani moving forward. Cingrani is 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA in seven appearances for the Reds, all starts.
–RHP Johnny Cueto was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list Sunday and started the series finale against Milwaukee. He wasn’t sharp early, giving up a solo homer to Carlos Gomez. But Cueto settled down after that. In his first start since May 31, he allowed just one run on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts over 88 pitches. He had been on the disabled list since June 5 with a strained right shoulder, after being on the DL from April 15 to May 19 with a strained right lat muscle.
–RHP Mike Leake is 4-1 with a 1.13 ERA in his past six starts including a season-high 16 2/3 innings scoreless streak from May 15-27. Since allowing nine earned runs in his first two starts, Leake has gone 6-3 with a 2.07 ERA. And, Leake continues to contribute offensively with 50 hits the past four seasons, tying for the major-league lead.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I won’t say we were holding our breath, but it was great to see him back. He’s such a huge part of this team. I’m glad everything went well.” — RF Jay Brune on RHP Johnny Cueto, who was reinstated from the disabled list and won Sunday.
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MLB Team Report – Cincinnati Reds – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–OF Chris Heisey (strained right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 28. He resumed full baseball activity June 14 and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignement with Triple-A Louisville on June 17.
–LHP Sean Marshall (sprained left shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 21. Marshall was on the DL due to left shoulder tendinitis from April 10-26. He began playing catch in early June.
–RHP Nick Masset (right shoulder surgery in September 2012) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 21.
–LF Ryan Ludwick (torn labrum in right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 1, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 15. Ludwick had surgery April 3. He might not return before July.
ROTATION:
RHP Mat Latos
RHP Bronson Arroyo
RHP Homer Bailey
RHP Mike Leake
LHP Tony Cingrani
BULLPEN:
LHP Aroldis Chapman (closer)
RHP Jonathan Broxton
LHP Manny Parra
RHP Sam LeCure
RHP J.J. Hoover
RHP Alfredo Simon
RHP Curtis Partch
CATCHERS:
Ryan Hanigan
Devin Mesoraco
INFIELDERS:
1B Joey Votto
2B Brandon Phillips
SS Zack Cozart
3B Todd Frazier
INF Jack Hannahan
INF Cesar Izturis
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Derrick Robinson
CF Shin-Soo Choo
RF Jay Bruce
OF Xavier Paul
OF Donald Lutz
