Pitching Help Coming? Former All-Star Makes First Start Since Signing With Texas Rangers

Right-hander Johnny Cueto, who signed with the Texas Rangers last month, threw four scoreless innings in his first start with Triple-A Round Rock.

Sep 15, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Johnny Cueto. / Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

Veteran starter Johnny Cueto made his first start for Triple-A Round Rock on Friday as the two-time All-Star begins his build-up toward a potential role for the Texas Rangers.

Cueto, 38, signed a minor-league contract on April 23 and was assigned to the ACL Rangers to begin building up for a promotion to a full-season affiliate.

Cueto got that promotion for Friday’s game with Reno. The Rangers have a half-dozen starting pitchers on the injured list, and Cueto could be used for depth if he finds success in the minors.

He gave up back-to-back two-out singles in the first inning but didn’t give up any runs. He retired the side in order in the second. During one at-bat, his pitches ranged from a 92 mph sinker to a 79 mph change-up.

Texas 🤝 @JohnnyCueto

Cueto is scheduled to make the start for the #RRExpress tonight at 7:15 p.m.

🎟️: https://t.co/AxZUIU4E91 pic.twitter.com/YggpF4x7U7

— Round Rock Express (@RRExpress) May 17, 2024

He gave up a two-out triple in the third but induced a groundout to end the inning. He then worked around a leadoff single in the fourth and retired the next three hitters.

He threw 63 pitches in four scoreless innings, allowing four hits. He walked none and struck out none.

Before signing with the Rangers, he was with Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Winter League. He pitched for the Miami Marlins in 2023.

The Dominican Republic native is a 16-year MLB veteran with two All-Star Game appearances. He twice finished among the top four in Cy Young voting and won a World Series with the 2015 Kansas City Royals.

He's 144-111 with a 3.50 ERA and 1,851 strikeouts in his career. He’s best known for his time with Cincinnati, where he played his first eight seasons and won 20 games in 2014.

He joined the Royals as a trade deadline deal in 2015, then moved on to pitch for San Francisco from 2016-21, where he played four seasons under current Rangers manager Bruce Bochy.

He pitched with the Chicago White Sox in 2022. Last year with the Marlins he went 1-4 with a 6.02 ERA in 13 games as he spent part of the season on the injured list with a knee injury.

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