Johnny Cueto to return to Reds rotation Monday
Reds ace Johnny Cueto will return Monday from the disable list -- which gives the Reds an interesting dilemma: Mike Leake or Tony Cingrani?
By
Matt Snyder
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1 min read
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The Reds will get their ace back next week. Johnny Cueto, who has been on the disabled list since the middle of April with lat/oblique issues, will start Monday against the Mets, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Cueto, 27, finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting last season and was 1-0 with a 2.60 ERA and 1.04 WHIP before hitting the DL this season. So his return is obviously good news for the Reds, but it also leaves them with a dilemma.
There has been an ongoing debate in the blogosphere on Mike Leake vs. Tony Cingrani, as to who should be sent to the minors upon Cueto's return.
Leake, 25, has made 85 career starts, including 30 last season as the Reds won 97 games and the NL Central. He's 2-2 with a 4.32 ERA and 1.49 WHIP this season.
Cingrani, 23, has been excellent since being recalled to take Cueto's rotation spot. The left-hander is 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a whopping 37 strikeouts in 28 innings.
Each player has minor-league options remaining on his current contract.
Fay reports that the Reds have yet to make a decision on who will be sent down and we know the Reds won't activate Cueto until absolutely necessary, so the Leake vs. Cingrani debate will likely continue until Monday, unless a current Reds' starter suffers an injury in the meantime.
