CHICAGO – When he was signed to a one-year deal on April 8th as the team dealt with an injury to starter Lance Lynn, many figured that he would get the call up to the White Sox at some point in the first half of the season.
That moment has come on Monday, as Johnny Cueto is set to make his debut with the club in Kansas City.
The two-time All-Star officially had his contract picked up by the White Sox as he’s called up to the majors after about a month with Triple-A Charlotte. He’ll step into the rotation immediately and start Monday’s game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Cueto made four appearances with the Knights over the last month, going 0-1 with a 5.17 ERA with nine earned runs allowed in 15 2/3 innings pitched with 17 strikeouts compared to four walks. in his last start on May 11th against Indianapolis, the starter went 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with six strikeouts with one walk.
This will be Cueto’s 15th season in Major League Baseball, spending seven-and-a-half years with the Reds, a half-season with the World Series champion Royals in 2015, then six seasons with the Giants. He was an All-Star in Cincinnati in 2014, when he was runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award, and in San Francisco in 2016.
Last season with the Giants, Cueto was 7-7 with a 4.08 ERA in 22 games, all but one being a start, with 98 strikeouts compared to 30 walks.