Spencer Arrighetti could be the one thing standing between the Blue Jays and October.

With 18 games left and Toronto just one game back of the final wild-card spot, the margin for a struggling rotation spot is essentially gone.

Since joining the Blue Jays, Arrighetti is 0-4 with an 8.04 ERA across four appearances and two starts.

He's allowed 16 hits and 14 earned runs, with 13 strikeouts, eight walks, five home runs, and a 1.53 WHIP in that stretch.

His last start against the Royals produced six earned runs over 4.2 innings, a line dragged down by command issues and trouble executing his spin.

Kevin Pillar addressed the situation directly on Blue Bird Territory. "I don't think it has to be done right now. Maybe there's a place for him in the bullpen."

That's a real suggestion, not just a passing comment about a rough stretch.

Why the bullpen role could actually help him

Toronto has leaned on strong outings from Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, and Jose Soriano to hold this rotation together.

Soriano has drawn 13 walks over six starts himself, but his knuckle-curve keeps bailing him out of high-pressure jams that Arrighetti hasn't been able to escape.

Toronto already tried easing Arrighetti in with Spencer Miles as an opener. It didn't work. He's given up at least one home run in every outing, two in his most recent one.

Shifting to relief would simplify his job considerably, limiting him to shorter stints of a couple innings and a simplified pitch mix.

That removes the burden of turning an opposing lineup over multiple times, arguably his biggest issue right now.

Reduced workload could also help his four-seam fastball regain the velocity it's lost, a mid-90s pitch that's dipped since he arrived.

He dealt with a foot injury, Morton's neuroma, before joining Toronto, a detail that's likely played some role in his struggles all along.

A piggyback or controlled bulk role would shield him from the kind of early damage he's allowed repeatedly, giving him space to rework his mechanics away from full rotation pressure.

Whether Toronto actually makes this move, or sticks with Arrighetti as a traditional starter, could directly shape whether this rotation holds up over the final stretch.