Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto Pitch In Minor League Games

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Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto tuned up for the season against Los Angeles Dodgers minor leaguers.

Bailey pitched against the Triple A team and Cueto the Double A team.

Bailey, who is working his way back from elbow surgery, pitched in his second minor league game. He pitched three innings and allowed a run on three hits. He walked two and struck out two.

"I didn't have a good slider," Bailey said. "I'm right on schedule to get ready for the season. My elbow feels good."

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Bailey will not have enough innings built up to pitch for the Reds until mid-April but is progressing according to plan with no setbacks.

"In Homer's first inning, I'm sure he would tell you, his pitches were up," Bryan Price said. "His second innings was better."

Cueto, left camp for the Domincan to be with his mother Cristina.  She had open heart surgery and requested that he be there.

Cueto was able to keep on a throwing schedule and was going to pitch in a minor league game, even if he had been in Goodyear all along. Mike Leake will pitch in a minor league game tomorrow.

"We like to control the environment for the second to last start. It is most important that pitchers get used to getting up and down five times. That doesn't always happen in a regular game," Price said.

Cueto pitched five innings to meet that requirement.

He gave up two runs, one earned on four hits. He walked no one and struck out four.

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Cueto was telling catcher Tucker Barnhart what he was going to throw.  Barnhart is the Triple A catcher but they wanted someone who has caught Cueto before.

"The quality of Cueto's pitches were good," Price said. "There was a jam shot that got by a fielder. It speaks volumes to his commitment to have a great year. Even with the issue with his family he has the ability to compartmentalize his workouts."

The outing went better than Cueto anticipated.

"To be honest with you, I thought I would be wild but I wasn't," Cueto said. "I was able to throw the ball down. I told the catcher what I was throwing so we would be on the same page. I wanted the game to move faster and keep my tempo."

Cueto will make his final start on April 1 against the Diamondbacks, then will be the Opening Day starter five days later.