The Giants on Monday placed right-handed starter Johnny Cueto on the 10-day disabled list with a right elbow sprain. Given that Cueto missed two months earlier this season with elbow inflammation and recently indicated that he'd been pitching with pain, this bad news isn't terribly surprising: 

If Cueto, age 32, does soon undergo Tommy John surgery, then he'll miss the remainder of this season and quite possibly all of of 2019, as well. This season, those elbow problems have limited Cueto to just nine starts and 53 innings, over which he's been quite effective (3.23 ERA). 

Cueto initially signed a six-year, $130 million contract with the Giants in December of 2015. That contract included an opt-out after the 2017 season. Cueto's struggles last season prompted him not to exercise that opt-out, and now the Giants are committed to him through at least 2021 (he's got a $22 million club option/$5 million buyout for 2022). In his first season with the Giants, Cueto thrived and finished sixth in the NL Cy Young balloting. Since then, though, it's been a mix of injuries and ineffectiveness. 

The Giants presently sit at one game below .500, which in tandem with the Cueto news will no doubt leave some to speculate that San Fran will sell off before Tuesday's non-waiver deadline. On that front ... 

The Giants have long resisted any kind of rebuild, and Cueto's grim outlook reportedly hasn't changed their tack.