Cueto's Wednesday start pushed back from ankle injury sustained in #SFGiants Saturday workout, Suarez likely to start pic.twitter.com/E9NAadMOLb
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 11, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO — Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto has been sent to the 10-day disabled list after tweaking his left ankle during a workout over the weekend, the team announced Tuesday.
“We were trying to keep this under wraps because I know that was his preference because he was hoping he would be ready to start (Wednesday),” manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday afternoon. “He was hoping he would be ready by today, but it’s too high of a risk to go out there and let him pitch right now.”
Cueto pitched in a simulated setting Tuesday, according to Bochy, but could only go about 70 percent.
“He tweaked (his ankle), but he tweaked it to the point that it‘s coming around a little slower than we thought,” Bochy said. “Between going full-go game speed, fielding bunts, things like that, we just felt it was a little risky.”
Earlier this week, the Giants announced Cueto would start Tuesday, and the fifth starter of the rotation would start Wednesday. That was presumed to be Giants 2014 first-round pitcher Tyler Beede. Cueto’s injury expedited Beede’s major league debut to Tuesday.
Bochy added there is a “really good chance (Andrew) Suarez will start (Wednesday).” Suarez, who would also potentially make his major league debut Wednesday, was added to the taxi squad. The club will have 24 hours to decide whether he will be activated to the 25-man roster.
Bochy promoted reliever Steven Okert, who will now be activated to the 25-man roster with Cueto being sent to the disabled list.
Cueto’s tweaked ankle continues a brutal injury bug that has swept the top of the Giants starting pitching staff. Late in Spring Training, Jeff Samardzija strained his right pectoral muscle, which has sidelined him for the first two weeks of the season. He could return as early as next week.
The monster blow came when Madison Bumgarner suffered a broken left pinkie in his final Spring Training start. He is expected to be sidelined until at least early June.
