Cueto (right biceps) exits Miami debut in 2nd inning

MIAMI -- When the Marlins signed right-hander Johnny Cueto on Jan. 19, one of the primary reasons was for the 15-year veteran to help out a young rotation that would have its innings monitored.

That plan could already be in jeopardy, as Cueto exited with right bicep tightness after 30 pitches in his Marlins debut in Monday night’s 11-1 loss to the Twins at loanDepot park. He will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity.

“It was something that was bothering me since the [pregame] bullpen session,” Cueto said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “Didn't say anything. I'm just trying to work through it and battle through this discomfort.

“Not much [concern]. I think it's something mild. Every time I stop throwing, I think the inflammation goes down.”

In the second inning, catcher Jacob Stallings noticed Cueto shaking his arm following the fourth pitch of Christian Vázquez’s at-bat. So the backstop made the slow walk to the mound after the next pitch and motioned to the training staff.

Cueto didn’t throw any warmup pitches before leaving the field, having surrendered two homers and recorded just three outs while facing seven batters in a 4-0 ballgame. Monday’s series opener marked the 15th anniversary of his Major League debut.

“You can usually kind of tell when something's off,” Stallings said. “I think the more, obviously, you're around people, the easier it is, but the pitch clock was running down and he kind of didn't really seem that worried about the clock, more worried about something else. So that's kind of when I knew -- or thought -- that something might be up.

“I thought his offspeed stuff was fine. The fastball didn't really have as much jump to it. I faced him in the past, and [I] certainly know what he's capable of and watched a lot of film of him last year. Hopefully he can get healthy and get back soon.”

According to Cueto, the discomfort was worse during Spring Training, which makes him hopeful this time around. Back then, it was the whole bicep; now it appears centralized to one area.

The 37-year-old Cueto admitted that perhaps his irregular schedule played a part. He allowed a combined 14 runs in 5 2/3 innings between two Grapefruit League starts and one World Baseball Classic start for the Dominican Republic. He also threw 61 pitches across 4 2/3 innings in a Minor League spring game that had been pushed back due to general right arm soreness. Per manager Skip Schumaker, Cueto ramped up to 85 pitches his last time out.

“I’ve got to say I was rushing,” said Cueto, whose arm got tighter every time he kept throwing. “I was not ready, and it was some rush.”

Because the Marlins didn't get length out of their starting pitchers over the weekend, they had selected the contract of right-hander Jeff Lindgren before the game as insurance. It’s a good thing they did.

Lindgren, whose most recent relief appearance was at Double-A Pensacola on May 8, 2021, gave up four runs over five innings in his Major League debut. As soon as he saw the trainers come out for Cueto, he got loose as quickly as possible.

“In that situation, I was just trying to give my team depth and get us to where they needed us to be in that situation,” Lindgren said. “I did what I could. Obviously the results weren't there. I didn't have my best stuff tonight, but I did my best with what I had and battled all night.”

Schumaker said Lindgren “saved us big time,” because the club only needed to use two relievers in Andrew Nardi and JT Chargois. Stallings pitched the ninth.

So what’s next for the Marlins?

Left-hander Braxton Garrett, who was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville as the corresponding roster move to Lindgren's callup, would be the likely choice to fill Cueto's spot should he land on the injured list. Garrett was the odd man out when Miami elected to go with a five-man rotation, and he made the Opening Day roster as a long reliever. Garrett appeared in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Mets, eating up three innings to help out the bullpen.

“That's why you get the imaging, to see how you treat it,” Schumaker said of Cueto. “It can go a number of different directions. If it's tendinitis -- or, I'm not going to speculate on what exactly it is -- but that's why I let the doctors handle that part of it and then we can move from there.”