Giants’ Cueto set after return from Dominican
Life during the shutdown was a lot different for Johnny Cueto than most of his teammates. He spent it in the Dominican Republic, and if President Danilo Medina did not like the COVID19 trends, he got strict.
Cueto said in a Zoom session with reporters Monday that he selfquarantined for 14 days when he returned to the Dominican from Arizona after Major League Baseball shut down spring training.
“I could go out if I wanted to, but I chose not to,” Cueto said through translator Erwin Higueros. “I didn’t want to contract the virus and bring it home and pass it on to my kids.”
Beyond that, Cueto and his countrymen could not enjoy the nightlife that majorleaguers are being asked to shun now that baseball has restarted. In the Dominican, it was not a request, but an order.
“It was more like a curfew,” Cueto said. “At first, it was 5 o’clock in the afternoon. If you were out after that time, you would be arrested and they would make you do community work.
“Then it was extended to 7 p.m., and on Sunday, back to 5 p.m.. If you were out after that time, you would be arrested.”
Nonetheless, Cueto said he did the physical work necessary to be ready to pitch in the July 23 season opener at Dodger Stadium — if it’s played, and if manager Gabe Kapler hands him the ball.
The day spring training was shut down, Kapler named Cueto his starter for the original opener March 26 at Dodger Stadium. Kapler backtracked slightly when asked Sunday if Cueto would start the new opener, saying that depends on how well Cueto and other starters were prepared.
“We’ll build our pitchers up as much as we can, kind of build up their volume and see where we are on Opening Day,” Kapler said. “The first thing we want to do before we make any declaration is get everybody’s live battingpractice sessions under our belt and start our (simulated) games and some of our intrasquad games.”
However, Kapler said he has been impressed by the strength in Cueto’s arms and legs. In his long toss Monday, Cueto threw to a coach from such a long distance, about 300 feet, that he had a cutoff man.
“He was getting after it,” Kapler said.
Cueto said he is ready now and even offered proof on social media, showing his success against former Giants teammate Eduardo Nuñez when they met for live batting practice and saying Monday, “I killed him.”
Cueto also sounded adamant that he wants to see this season through, expressing none of the reservations held by other bigleaguers and even his catcher, Buster Posey.
“It’s a very difficult situation,” Cueto said. “I’m scared for my family like everyone else is, but I’m already here. I made a commitment. I flew in from the Dominican, which is pretty far away. I’m here, I’m going to stay here, I’m going to give it my all and we’ll see what happens.”