Phillies confirm Jake Arrieta will undergo season-ending elbow surgery
As if the Philadelphia Phillies haven’t faced enough hurdles this season, they’ve npw officially lost starting pitcher Jake Arrieta for the season.
The right-hander told reporters Wednesday that he would likely need to undergo surgery for a bone spur in his right elbow, according to ESPN. On Saturday, the Phillies confirmed as much, announcing Arrieta’s season-ending surgery will take place later in August.
Jake Arrieta will have season-ending surgery to address the bone spur in his elbow at the end of August. #Phillies expect he should have plenty of time to be ready for spring training.
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) August 17, 2019
Arrieta has apparently been pitching through the injury for most of the summer, and that’s not a surprise when looking at the numbers. After matching his 3.96 ERA last year through May, Arrieta has posted a 5.49 ERA since June 1 with 74 hits (nine homers) allowed in 60.2 innings.
The announcement was coupled with some other tough news for the Phillies pitching staff. Reliever David Robertson, who they inked to a two-year, $23 million deal in January, had Tommy John surgery on Thursday.
David Robertson had Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair on Aug. 15. He’s expected to be out 14-16 months. #Phillies
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) August 17, 2019
Robertson was confirmed to be out for the season on July 31. He’s now likely to miss the entire 2020 season.
Arrieta is expected to be ready for spring training.
Another blow for the Phillies
While Arrieta has only posted a 4.64 ERA overall this season, losing him is yet another piece of bad news for the Phillies. Replacing Arrieta in the rotation will reportedly be Zach Eflin.
The Phillies, currently tied for third place in the NL East at 61-58, now have Arrieta, Andrew McCutchen, Jay Bruce, David Robertson and several more players on the IL. The team is only 14-15 since the All-Star Break.
In order to secure a playoff spot, the general expectation when the team went all-in this offseason, the Phillies will now have to out-play four other teams — the New York Mets, Washington Nationals and two of the top three teams in the NL Central — that are currently tied or ahead of them in the Wild Card race.
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