Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto are back and while that might not be cause for a brass band to march around Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati it certainly is a large dose of positive news for the Cincinnati Reds.
For nearly five weeks the Reds operated with two of their arms lopped off. While that didn't make them the Venus di Milo, it forced manager Dusty Baker to do more shuffling than a Las Vegas blackjack dealer.
For five weeks, starting pitchers Bailey and Cueto were among the missing, both on the disabled list. That's two-fifths of the starting rotation and for the mathematically challenged, that's 40 per cent.
Fortunately for the Reds, the cupboard was well-stocked with arms and Baker was able to plug in Mike Leake and Sam LeCure, two guys with starting experience but two guys who were supposed to start the season in the bullpen (Leake) and at Class AAA Louisville (LeCure).
But they weren't Bailey and they weren't Cueto.
When healthy, Bailey has some of the best stuff on the staff and some believe he may be the best pitcher on the staff. From May 24 to August 18 last season he was on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation and was 1-2 with 5.51 ERA in nine starts before lapsing to the DL.
After he returned, he was 4-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 10 starts, the best numbers on the staff.
Cueto, 25, was 12-7 with a 3.61 ERA in 31 starts. Cueto's .632 winning percentage was the 10th best in the National League and six of his last seven starts were quality starts. And he was victimized by six blown saves when he turned leads over to the bullpen. That could have given him 18 wins.
So Bailey and Cueto were dead, solid certains to be in the 2011 rotation along with Bronson Arroyo, Edinson Volquez and Travis Wood.
But the last week of spring training became a downer — Cueto suffered a strain in his right triceps/biceps area and Bailey came down with the shoulder inflammation again.
Fortunately, the Reds were able to tread water in April, clinging tightly to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central. LeCure made four starts and was 0-1 with 4.57 ERA. Leake made six starts and was 3-1 with a 5.77 ERA.
Meanwhile, Bailey and Cueto spent most of April pitching on rehab. Bailey was sensational, giving up only one run in four starts. Cueto, though, struggled.
The plan last week was to have both Bailey and Cueto make one more rehab start each at Class A Dayton.
But with the starting staff struggling to get beyond the fifth inning, forcing Baker to ovetax his bullpen, and with the starting staff ERA at 5.47, next to last in the National League, Baker and general manager Walt Jocketty scrapped the final rehab starts.
What a momentous decision. Bailey and Cueto would have wasted magnificent starts against a low Class A team.
First it was Bailey, facing the Houston Astros last Thursday. He pitched six innings and gave up one run and seven hits, pitching exactly the way he did on rehab.
Most thought Cueto couldn't possibly do the same thing. He didn't. He did better. Pitching Sunday in Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, he went seven-plus innings and gave up no runs.
"Now we're whole again with our starting pitching," said Baker. "That helps us big-time. While Leake and LeCure did a good job for us, they aren't the two guys who were supposed to be in our rotation coming out of spring training."
Baker, of course, was ecstatic with what he has seen so far.
"If he Bailey and Cueto keep throwing like this, things are looking bright for us," he said. "You look for signs of rust, but there was none. They were sharp, very sharp. Bailey is capable of a lot of victories for us. And so is Cueto."
Baker, always searching for any crack of light in a dark closet, put a postive spin on missing Bailey and Cueto for five weeks.
"Now they should still be strong in September," he said. "Everybody else will have an extra month of wear and tear on their arms, so this could work out great for us."
Cueto's next scheduled turn is Friday and it will be against the St. Louis Cardinals. Cueto was a main character in an August brawl against the Cardinals and in the aftermatch he was fined and suspended for kicking St. Louis catcher Jason LaRue in the head, causing a concussion.
It will be Cueto's first start against the Cardinals since that incident.
