Giants place Johnny Cueto on IL with Dodgers series looming

The San Francisco Giants have placed pitcher Johnny Cueto on the injured list with elbow soreness as a critical series against the Dodgers approaches.

The San Francisco Giants have the Los Angeles Dodgers on their tail in the NL West. The fact that pitcher Johnny Cueto is heading to the 10-day injured list is a particularly tough development in light of that.

Cueto landed on the IL on Wednesday after a rough outing on Tuesday against the Brewers. He had just come off the injured list from an illness and looked worse for wear in his start, giving up six earned runs and 10 hits in 3.2 innings pitched.

Johnny Cueto is on the IL, expected to miss the Giants series vs. the Dodgers

Manager Gabe Kapler revealed part of his struggles had to do with elbow soreness which he’s been playing through for a week.

“Hope is that it’s another short IL stint, but they’re going to try and get him right,” Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweeted.

Cueto isn’t the only pitcher on the IL right now. Alex Wood tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the IL on Monday.

San Francisco has lost three games in a row and their pitching staff is hurting. On Friday, they’ll begin a series with the Dodgers that should shape the race for the NL West in the final month of the season. The Giants had been in control of the division before LA closed the gap.

Los Angeles is just a half-game out of first place, taking advantage of the Giants’ recent dip. Cueto and Wood are unlikely to pitch in that series. Both would have been expected to start before their misfortunes.

The Giants will have to show resilience to get out of the weekend with first place in hand. The Dodgers have a huge opportunity in front of them.