Cueto says winter ball, WBC tired him

[OnBaseMachine]

Cueto eyeing strong finish to season
Right-hander looking for positive end to challenging year

By Jeff Wallner / Special to MLB.com

09/20/09 12:42 PM ET

CINCINNATI -- This season, Johnny Cueto has had to overcome shoulder inflammation and a recent bout with the flu. The 23-year old right-hander now says he feels better than ever and is looking forward to finishing the season strong.

Cueto, who was scratched from Thursday's scheduled start against the Marlins due to the flu, threw a bullpen session prior to Sunday's game against the Marlins at Great American Ball Park.

He's scheduled to make his 28th start on Tuesday against the Pirates at PNC Park.

"He's shown big-time maturity this season," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "He started off great then hit a bit of a lull. We have to monitor how much we pitch him."

Cueto, who's 9-10 with a 4.41 ERA with 153 innings pitched, admitted to being fatigued earlier this season, which resulted in him being placed on the disabled list in August with inflammation in his right shoulder.

Cueto says pitching in both winter ball and the World Baseball Classic this past offseason took its toll.

"I was tired," Cueto said on Sunday. "I could feel it in my shoulder, my arm. But now it's all better. I feel good."

Cueto began the season 8-4 with a 2.69 ERA, but went 0-6 with a 10.64 ERA in his next eight outings before being placed on the DL.

"He loves to pitch, loves to work," said Baker. "We need to make sure we don't throw him too much. There's a lot of pressure on Dominican players to play winter ball. He's used to pitching in winter ball."

Cueto agreed with Baker's assessment that he's matured since his rookie season, when he went 9-14 with a 4.81 ERA in 31 starts.

"I learned a lot," Cueto said. "It helped to pitch a lot. I feel much better now."

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

[mth123]

Hope this means he'll skip it this year.

[Highlifeman21]

Hope this means he'll skip it this year.

Seriously

I know Latin players seemingly have more pride in playing for their countries during winter ball, but have more pride as a professional and sit this winter ball out Mr. Cueto.

[Will M]

in other news the world is round.

one way the Reds could get a guy like Cueto not to pitch winter ball is a handshake agreement to pay him more if he does not. "Johnny, we will pay you $800K next year instead of $700K if you rest this winter". seems like a good deal for both sides.

[membengal]

membengal takes his "I told you so" lap.

[Highlifeman21]

in other news the world is round.

one way the Reds could get a guy like Cueto not to pitch winter ball is a handshake agreement to pay him more if he does not. "Johnny, we will pay you $800K next year instead of $700K if you rest this winter". seems like a good deal for both sides.

With Volquez's health an uncertainty for Maceo music videos, maybe Cueto can appear in them instead of pitching in winter ball.

[Spring~Fields]

Cueto says pitching in both winter ball and the World Baseball Classic this past offseason took its toll.

"I was tired," Cueto said on Sunday. "I could feel it in my shoulder, my arm. But now it's all better. I feel good."

I have a dumb question maybe someone can answer.

If you were young and very good, having reached your dream of being a major league pitcher with all of its rewards, why would you risk all of that pitching elsewhere during the off season?

[Unassisted]

If you were young and very good, having reached your dream of being a major league pitcher with all of its rewards, why would you risk all of that pitching elsewhere during the off season?

"Elsewhere," as you put it, is his home country. In his home country, few people have the resources to see him ply his trade in person for his US team. My guess is that there is considerable pressure applied by the home folks on players to come back and play where they can see them, in a league that matters more to those folks than MLB.

It's a problem that international players are having in the NBA, too.

[Topcat]

This is no shock almost every poster with a lick of baseball sense called this before the season began. they as I hoped to be proven wrong but the reality is we saw it coming.

[blumj]

I have a dumb question maybe someone can answer.

If you were young and very good, having reached your dream of being a major league pitcher with all of its rewards, why would you risk all of that pitching elsewhere during the off season?

Because pitching for your country is also a dream? A lot of athletes seem to believe they're invincible until they learn the hard way that they're not.

[bucksfan2]

I have a dumb question maybe someone can answer.

If you were young and very good, having reached your dream of being a major league pitcher with all of its rewards, why would you risk all of that pitching elsewhere during the off season?

Plenty of young people do things that you would consider stupid. I think the Reds organization should have been more proactive preventing Cueto from pitching in Winter Ball. If I were in Cueto's situation I would have loved to pitch in the winter in front of my country men. Show what I got and what I developed. It should be an organizational policy that if you aren't sent to play winter ball, then you are strongly recommended not to go.

[mth123]

Even at the minimum, Cueto is being paid handsomely by the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds should have some say in this. Not sure what the CBA says though.