Angels’ Johnny Cueto says he never doubted he would return to the big leagues

TORONTO — As Johnny Cueto was grinding through the minor leagues this season, he refused to be discouraged by his surroundings.

“It was tough to be there,” Cueto said through an interpreter. “But I had to put my head down and work hard. I was like a racehorse, just running. Just look toward the front. I never had a doubt that I could come back because I still have something in my tank.”

The Angels gave the 38-year-old right-hander an opportunity when they signed him to a minor league deal last month, and he reached the big leagues last week.

Cueto gave up three runs in 6-1/3 innings in his first start, on Wednesday in Kansas City, and he’ll start again on Tuesday in Detroit.

Cueto finished last season with the Miami Marlins, posting a 6.02 ERA in 52-1/3 innings. He was unable to find a job over the winter, but the Texas Rangers signed him to a minor league deal in late April. The Rangers had several starters begin the season on the injured list, so Cueto was something of a fallback plan.

Cueto pitched in the Rangers farm system for a couple months, which he treated as his spring training.

“Then they got their pitchers back, so I thought I didn’t have a chance,” Cueto said.

Three weeks after the Rangers released Cueto, the Angels signed him. He spent about four weeks at Triple-A Salt Lake before the opportunity to return to the big leagues presented itself.

Cueto took the rotation spot vacated when right-hander José Soriano was placed on the injured list because of arm fatigue. Now, Soriano is one of the young pitchers the Angels hope will benefit from Cueto’s presence.

Cueto is in his 17th season in the majors. He’s won 144 games. He pitched in the World Series with the Royals in 2015. Cueto was one of the sport’s true workhorses earlier in his career, pitching more than 200 innings in four seasons.

“He can have a big impact, showing them how to pitch,” manager Ron Washington said. “He pitches. Sometimes our young kids go out there and throw. Sometimes our young kids go out there and forget the situation they’re in. When I talk about situation, I’m talking about we get two outs, we couldn’t seem to be able to put that inning away. Those are the type of things that I think Johnny can bring to those kids on how to handle that, how to pitch, because he is a pitcher. I certainly hope that they’re gravitating to him. And I know the kind of guy that he is, he would open up and give him that.”

Cueto said he’s open to helping anyone who wants to listen.

“Some of them like to be taught and some don’t,” Cueto said, referring to young players in general. “The ones who ask me, I am very grateful to teach them all the tricks.”

ADELL AT CLEANUP

Jo Adell was hitting fourth in the lineup on Sunday, but Washington said that Adell still isn’t ready to hit everyday in a premium spot.

“Since we’ve been in Toronto, he’s had the best at-bats,” Washington said. “I just want him to continue to have the best at-bats, that’s it. I’m not looking for him to be a cleanup hitter. He’s got the power and all that stuff. I just want him to continue to have good at-bats.”

Adell has hit .291 with an .837 OPS in 87 plate appearances since he abandoned his leg kick in favor of a toe tap. He has a strikeout rate of 24.1% with the new approach, which is down from 29.1% with the leg kick.

Washington said he still has work to do.

“Sometimes he’s late on the fastball with his tap,” Washington said. “He’s got to continue to work the sequence so he can catch up to some of those fastballs with consistency. It does well on offspeed, but he’s a little late on the fastball. It’s a work in progress, but there is a progression.”

NOTES

Right-hander Griffin Canning will start on Wednesday, without an opener. Canning pitched six scoreless innings when starting in the third inning on Thursday in Toronto, but apparently the Angels have decided to give him another opportunity to carry those improvements into a traditional start. …

Mickey Moniak returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing two games with a sore left elbow. He was hit by a pitch.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Johnny Cueto, 0-1, 4.26) at Tigers (TBD) at Comerica Park, 3:40 p.m. PT Tuesday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM.