Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jake Arrieta has been mired in one of the worst years of his MLB career this season, and news that broke on Wednesday helps to explain why.
The team announced that Arrieta has been pitching through a bone spur in his pitching elbow, which has limited his effectiveness. The 33-year-old righty has had a rough go of it in 2019, being one of the biggest reasons why the Phillies have disappointed with a mediocre 47-43 record.
Arrieta has posted a bloated 4.67 ERA this season and is posting the lowest strikeout numbers of his career on a per-inning basis. The Missouri native, in addition, has allowed a staggering 18 home runs in only 108 innings on the mound.
In short, Arrieta’s performance hasn’t come close to what the Phillies expected from him after signing him to a 3-year, $75 million deal before the 2018 season.
Despite his injury, Phillies manager Gape Kapler has said that it’s possible that Arrieta will continue to pitch this season.
The Phillies manager recognizes the fact that the team’s minor league pitching depth is minimal, and that if Arrieta is physically able to pitch despite the bone spur, the team might have to continue relying on him to stay in their rotation through the end of the season.
For now, Arrieta is expected to make a Saturday start against the Miami Marlins, but his situation bears monitoring.
