WASHINGTON -- Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto was cautiously optimistic about rehabilitating his ailing elbow quickly enough to rejoin the starting rotation by June 30, the first day he's eligible for activation from the disabled list.
"Baseball's like Russian roulette," Cueto said Friday through interpreter Erwin Higueros after flinging 35 pitches off a bullpen mound in his first throwing session since being sidelined. "You never know what you're going to get."
Cueto, whom the Giants desperately need at full effectiveness to maximize their chances of contending in the postseason, said he wants to throw two more bullpen sessions and a "light" round or two of batting practice before progressing to a Minor League rehab outing.
"As you know, throwing in the bullpen is different from actually pitching in a game," said Cueto, who's on the 60-day DL with inflammation in his right elbow.
Right-hander Jeff Samardzija (shoulder), another veteran mainstay of the rotation, also intensified his throwing program with a bullpen session.