Arm injury seems milder than feared

The Giants exhaled Tuesday after holding their breaths all night when an MRI exam on Johnny Cueto’s pitching arm showed that the forearm tightness that forced him to curtail a rehab start Monday night was caused by a minor muscle issue.

Cueto was diagnosed with a strained flexor in his elbow, less serious than a similar injury that cost him a start in Cincinnati two years ago and far less ominous than the flexor tendon strain that derailed Matt Cain in 2015.

The MRI showed no issues with Cueto’s ul-

nar-collateral ligament, invariably a concern when a pitcher reports forearm tightness.

“I think it’s a pretty good prognosis overall,” head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said before Tuesday night’s win over the A’s.

The Giants wanted to reinsert Cueto into their rotation Saturday. Instead, he will rest his arm for a week and be reevaluated.

“We hope he’s back this year for sure,” Groeschner said. “We’re optimistic.”

Meanwhile, the Giants have to be more optimistic that Cueto will be their No. 2 starter in 2018.

In a strange way, the blisters that have dogged Cueto all year, combined with the latest injury, could help the Giants by persuading Cueto not to opt out of the six-year, $130 million contract he signed before last season.

After Cueto finished fifth in the National League with a 2.79 ERA and sixth in the Cy Young Award voting last year, the chances that he would forgo his right to opt out after 2017 seemed slim. He seemed destined for free agency again, forcing the Giants to outbid other teams if they wanted him back.

Now, after Cueto has struggled through a 4.59 ERA and health issues during his second year in San Francisco, it’s hard to imagine him doing better in free agency than staying with the Giants, who would owe him about $80 million for the next four years.

Some observers within the game believe Cueto would be doing the Giants a favor by opting out and saving them a considerable chunk of change as he enters his mid-30s. But the Giants do not think that way.

They hope to be competitive next year and understand that front-line starters will be sparse in free agency this winter.

They want a replay of what worked last year, with Madison Bumgarner atop the rotation and Cueto behind him.

“Obviously, we think a lot of Johnny,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “That’s why we signed Johnny. Our hope is we have these guys back as a healthy one and two next year. They’re important to our success, and we feel strongly about that.”

Moreover, Giants officials believe Cueto feels the same way. They have spoken to him periodically to gauge his happiness and desire to remain with the Giants, and they say they routinely have gotten a thumbs-up.

They understand Cueto can opt out anyway, a business decision that seems less likely by the week.

Cueto has brought more than experience and success to the Giants. He has a big personality on an older team. He has found ways to have fun on the field in a down year for him and a terrible year for the team.

And fun has been in short supply around these parts.

“There are two sides of him,” center fielder Denard Span said. “He can be quiet, but he can flip a switch and turn into the ultimate cheerleader.

“I think he brings a winning mentality. When he pitches out there, he pitches with a lot of passion. From what I saw last year — he hasn’t been as good this year — he definitely is a smart, intelligent pitcher. I’ve used the word ‘surgical’ when he’s cutting up hitters.”

Groeschner cannot say how soon Cueto can pitch again. The medical staff hopes he can play catch in a week to restart the clock but cautioned it could take longer.

Cain has pitched in Cueto’s place. Bochy hedged when asked if Cain will take that turn again Saturday against the Diamondbacks, saying those discussions are ongoing.