For nearly three years, Johnny Cueto pitched with a stabbing pain in his right elbow. He won 18 games for San Francisco in 2016 and started the All-Star game that year dealing with the discomfort.
How he did so, Cueto isn't sure. And the animated right-hander can now envision how great it will be once he's back on the mound and pain-free following Tommy John reconstructive surgery.
"It was a lot for me to deal with. It was almost three years with pain in the elbow, and strong pain," said Cueto, who turns 33 on Friday. "It's not easy.