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Reds ace Johnny Cueto made a triumphant return today from the disabled list for the second this season after landing there for a lat strain. As anticipated, Cueto spent only the minimum 15 days on the DL this time, but it does bring his total on the year to about 7 weeks. The Reds appear to be taking the safe route with Cueto, DL'ing him at early signs of trouble rather than try to wait it out or have him pitch through it. It is a pleasant departure from SOP for the club, in my personal opinion. Cueto is too important to the team this year to risk not having him healthy when it matters most; a lesson which unfortunately was learned from experience last season.
An example of the opposite approach comes this week in Jonathan Broxton. The setup man placed on the DL June 15 after pitching in extra innings the day before, despite the fact that his elbow had been sore for several days and he was supposed to be unavailable except in emergencies. According to MLB.com, the specific injury is an elbow flexor strain, and due to the appearance, his stint cannot be backdated. The Reds bullpen this year has been hit rather hard by injuries, not to mention regression.
Sean Marshall has apparently decided to delineate his own personal timetable for a return, saying that he feels good and that he expects to be back in "three weeks or less." Three weeks from now would make approximately six weeks on the DL for this injury, and 9 weeks total on the year. The return of Marshall would signal a much-needed boost to a bullpen that has been staggering for a few weeks and could use the back end stability Marshall is capable of providing when healthy.
In the minor leagues, Reds phenom SP prospect Robert Stephenson (A- Dayton) was placed on the 7-day DL with a strained hamstring on June 13. The injury will prevent him from participating in the Midwest League All-Star game. Also at Dayton, P Jesus Adames returned from the DL for a strained calf on June 13 muscle after missing 9 days. P Wes Mugarian was placed on the DL on June 13 as well with an unlisted injury.
At A+ Bakersfield, C Yovan Gonzalez returned from the DL on June 14 after missing only the minimum 7 days. At AAA Louisville, C Konrad Schmidt was released.
Check the state of Reds injuries and minor league affiliates via this link.