Cincinnati Reds manager Bryce Price feels All-Star Johnny Cueto is ready to pitch without restrictions.
Chicago Cubs skipper Joe Maddon thinks Jason Hammel should start to be considered for the Midsummer Classic.
Cueto and Hammel meet in a matchup of dominant hurlers when the host Cubs try for their fifth win in six games Friday.
Cueto went 1-2 with a 4.45 ERA in four May starts before missing one due to inflammation in his right elbow, but he appears to be all the way back after allowing one earned run over 13 innings in two June outings.
The right-hander gave up four hits in seven innings with nine strikeouts in a 4-0 home win over San Diego on Sunday. He threw 103 pitches, though Price hinted that Cueto might have continued had he not dealt with the elbow issue recently.
"I don't think there's going to be a lot of great limitations in his next start," Price told MLB's official website. "But it made sense. He had thrown beautifully. It definitely put to rest the thought that we might be overextending him and creating a setback by kind of work overload."
Cueto (4-4, 2.64 ERA) had been 7-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his previous 12 starts against the Cubs (32-26) before dropping his last two matchups. He gave up six runs and walked five over 5 2-3 innings in a 7-0 loss at Wrigley Field on Sept. 16.
Chris Coghlan went 4 for 8 with a home run and a double against Cueto last season. Miguel Montero is 2 for 16 lifetime off him and Anthony Rizzo is 2 for 18 with a homer in the matchup.
Montero was 2 for 3 with his eighth home run in Thursday's series-opening 6-3 victory. The catcher has gone 5 for 8 with two homers and six RBIs over his past two games.
Dexter Fowler is hitting .367 in a seven-game hitting streak after going 2 for 4 with a home run.
After totaling 18 runs and 23 hits in two straight wins, the Cubs will try to stay hot for Hammel (5-2, 2.76), who's gone 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in his last eight outings.
The right-hander can win three straight starts for the first time since 2013 after limiting Washington to two runs over eight innings of a 4-2 road win Saturday.
"You talk about pitching at an All-Star quality or level, he has," Maddon said. "He's been unbelievably good, consistent, deep into the game, strike thrower. Just outstanding."
Hammel hasn't had much success against Cincinnati (27-32), going 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in four career starts. However, he hasn't faced the Reds since 2011 while with Colorado.
Brandon Phillips is 4 for 11 against Hammel, but he's day to day after missing the past two games with a groin injury. Joey Votto is 2 for 12 with a home run in the matchup.
Billy Hamilton will likely be a game-time decision after missing the past three games with a wrist injury. Zack Cozart went down with a season-ending knee injury Wednesday.
The banged-up Reds, losers of 10 of 11 on the road, have totaled 17 runs in losing five of six against the Cubs this season.
