Another Toronto Blue Jays pitcher has gone down, and this one comes right as the rotation could least afford it.
Trade-deadline addition Spencer Arrighetti left his Triple-A rehab start Thursday with the Buffalo Bisons in the third inning, appearing to aggravate an existing right foot injury.
Toronto acquired Arrighetti in the deal that sent Daulton Varsho to the Houston Astros.
He'd actually been off to a strong start in his first look with the organization, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with two walks, one strikeout and no hits allowed against Norfolk.
Arrighetti had been on the injured list with right foot nerve irritation before joining Toronto, meaning this setback likely represents a real recurrence rather than a brand new issue.
That timing stings given how much Toronto was counting on him for pitching depth, especially with Trey Yesavage now sidelined by a meniscus injury that could end his own season.
This season, Arrighetti carries a 4.60 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 87 strikeouts across 88 innings over 17 MLB starts, and his career numbers sit at a 4.66 ERA and 1.386 WHIP across 53 major league appearances.
Why losing his depth stings this deep into the season
Toronto sits at 53-60, last in the American League East, a rotation already reshaped significantly by trade deadline additions and now dealing with real injury attrition on top of that.
Losing Arrighetti's availability, even temporarily, removes one more option right as Toronto needed rotation depth more than ever with Yesavage's own uncertain timeline.
It's a bit like finally getting a spare part installed only to have it break down again almost immediately, the timing making an already frustrating situation feel worse.
Does this recurrence suggest Arrighetti's foot issue is more chronic than initially believed, or was this simply an unlucky setback during a routine rehab outing?
Toronto's front office now has another pitching health situation to monitor closely, adding to a growing list of arms the organization is watching heading into the stretch run.
Are you worried Spencer Arrighetti's foot injury becomes a recurring issue for the Blue Jays?
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