Cueto to get rehab action
DENVER — In the analysis of which Giants pitchers will stay or go at the July 31 trade deadline, it’s easy to forget someone who three seasons ago was one of the elite starters in baseball. But Johnny Cueto is very much in the picture.
Cueto will start pitching in rehab games in the Arizona rookie league during the first week of August, manager Bruce Bochy said, adding that the 33yearold righthander will face live hitting in practice soon if he hasn’t already.
If Cueto gets into a game Aug. 2, he would pitch on the anniversary of his Tommy John surgery, which he underwent reluctantly after trying to pitch through ligament damage for two years.
The Giants expect him to return to the majors this season.
Cueto impressed the staff in bullpen sessions at Chase Field in Phoenix in each of the club’s two visits this season. After a June 22 session, Cueto told The Chronicle, “If they ask me to throw an inning, I’ll throw an inning right now.” Longoria prognosis: Third baseman Evan Longoria wore a Tshirt that said, “Fun guy” as he uttered the words, “unfortunate and sad.”
He was talking about the left plantarfascia strain that put him on the injured list Monday and into a walking boot. The team did not offer an official prognosis, but Longoria estimated he could be out from two weeks to a month. He said that surgery is not needed and he should know more after the Giants’ foot specialist examines his MRI exam pictures.
“Just like any other muscle strain, we’ll figure out how to strengthen it and rehab it,” Longoria said. “This is a new protocol for me. I guess I’ve just got to trust the doctors and trust the training staff.”
Though he considers it unfortunate that he got hurt right when he was getting hot — and when his parents decided to fly to Denver to watch him play — he said the injury is easier to take because the team is winning.
“It’s always been much tougher for me when you sit in the clubhouse and can’t do anything about it when the team is not doing well and it’s quiet after a game,” Longoria said. “You just feel pretty helpless.” Roster moves: The Giants optioned Dereck Rodriguez to TripleA after his successful spot start in Monday’s doubleheader and recalled lefthander Andrew Suarez, providing additional bullpen coverage with two more games at Coors Field.