Finally, some good news for the Giants on the injury front.
It appears that Johnny Cueto will not require Tommy John surgery on his injured right elbow, after Dr. James Andrews diagnosed the issue as closer to a sprain rather than a full tear of the UCL, recommending at least six weeks of rest, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic is reporting.
a relief for giants. sources: Johnny Cueto determined to have a sprained elbow, not a tear. Dr. Andrews recommends rest. out 6 weeks. #SFGiants
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 7, 2018
It should be pointed out: every ligament sprain is a tear to some degree. So it’s not accurate to say Cueto’s UCL is “sprained, not torn.” Better to say it’s “still attached.” (Says me, glancing at the Hollywood Upstairs Medical College degree on my wall.)
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) May 7, 2018
The news is a sigh of relief for both the Giants and Cueto. Cueto’s 0.84 ERA through five starts is the best in the major so far this season, and has helped mitigate the absence of injured ace Madison Bumgarner.
Bumgarner (left pinkie) was cleared to begin throwing on May 1, and expected to return in early-to-mid June.