KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) — Johnny Cueto will be back on the major league mound Wednesday night when the Los Angeles Angels end their three-game series against the Kansas City Royals, whom the 38-year-old pitcher led to a World Series title nearly a decade ago.
Angels manager Ron Washington said before Tuesday night’s game that Cueto was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake to play the starting job. He hasn’t pitched at the major league level since last September, when he finished a disappointing season for Miami.
“I don’t know if he can come here now and be a leader. He’s scared to be Cueto,” Washington said, “but if he stays, I think he can definitely impact our young kids.”
The Angels needed some help in the rotation after Jose Soriano was placed on the injured list due to arm fatigue and Patrick Sandoval loses due to surgery in his elbow. Carson Fulmer, rookie Jack Kochanowicz and Griffin Canning have completed the rotation along with Tyler Anderson, who started Tuesday night in Kansas City.
“I just want him to come here and fit in,” Washington said. “I’m pretty sure some of these young people will flock to him and he’ll give them the information they’re asking for. But for him to come here today and influence these kids, I don’t think so. Because I can tell you, they don’t know who Johnny Cueto is. We know, but I don’t think they know.”
Cueto had problems at Triple-A Round Rock earlier this season as part of the Rangers organization, but he was quite effective after the Angels sent him to Salt Lake, allowing eight runs on 27 hits and five walks in 23 1/3 innings.
The Angels will be the sixth team for Cueto, who has a 144-111 record and a 3.50 ERA in 368 major league games. His journey began with the Reds on April 3, 2008, when he made his major league debut, allowing one hit and recording 10 strikeouts against Arizona.
Cueto made two All-Star teams – with the Reds in 2014 and the Giants in 2016 – and played for Kansas City in between, where he secured a permanent spot in the starting lineup for the playoffs that ultimately earned him a championship ring.
Cueto pitched a complete game for the Royals against the New York Mets in Game 2 of the 2015 World Series.
“He can throw,” Washington said. “He may not be the Johnny Cueto of five, six, seven, eight years ago, but he has knowledge and wisdom, and when he’s on the mound, I think he’ll use that.”
___
APMLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
