PHILADELPHIA–When Johnny Cueto walked into the doctor’s office on Monday, he was preparing for Tommy John surgery.
The right-hander had pitched with elbow pain he termed “unbearable,” and was almost certain the only fix was an operation that would require him to miss the rest of the year and much of next season, too.
Then came the diagnosis from Dr. James Andrews: A sprained elbow.
“I feel relieved,” Cueto said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “My family is happy, I’m happy and I can see that my teammates are happy that I’m not going to have the Tommy John surgery.