When Could Spencer Arrighetti Debut for the Blue Jays, and Where Does He Fit In?

The Toronto Blue Jays acquired Spencer Arrighetti in the trade that sent Daulton Varsho to the Houston Astros. Arrighetti brings three years of MLB experience to add depth to the starting rotation. However, he has only started 52 games in that span due to multiple injuries. 

Last season, he missed nearly three months due to two different injured list stints: a fractured thumb and elbow inflammation. This season, he went on the IL on July 25 with a foot nerve injury, Morton's neuroma. It's an injury that causes nerve pain, which is concerning since it's in Arrighetti's push-off foot.

The righty has made two rehab starts in August, throwing six combined innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits. He also struck out four but walked three batters. In his last start, he rolled through three innings before giving up a two-run home run in the fourth inning. Yet, Arrighetti showed a concerning sign: His fastball averaged just 90.5 mph. This is down from his major league average of 92.4 mph earlier this season. Hopefully, the drop is just him not getting his usual push off his right foot because of the immense pain he was experiencing, and not something more concerning.

Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reported that Arrighetti would throw a side session yesterday (August 19), and then a decision would be made about where the righty's next appearance will take place. He also reported that Arrighetti changed the type of cleat he used, which had a new insole that reduced the pain.

Depending on how the side session went, it's a possibility that Arrighetti's next start is with the Blue Jays. He'll need to prove he's pain-free and that the velocity decline was just a side effect of the pain he experienced. He last pitched August 16, so he could return as early as this weekend, possibly tomorrow, Friday, August 21, against the New York Yankees. (Sportnet's Arden Zwelling suggested that's likely the plan.) That is the next projected bullpen game, but it would only be on four days' rest for Arrighetti, so they may stick with a bullpen game and pitch him on the 22nd instead. That would push everyone else back a day as well.

The Blue Jays have tried to go the route of using a six-man rotation to keep their starters healthy for the final stretch and a possible postseason run. However, the injuries to Trey Yesavage and Jameson Taillon derailed that strategy. So, Arrighetti would add depth to an injury-plagued starting rotation. However, he only threw 50 pitches in his last outing. That means the righty will be on a pitch count in his next start too, as he's still trying to ramp up to a full workload.

It'll be nice to have an arm with Arrighetti's MLB experience while the team is fighting for the last Wild Card spot, and their schedule is perfectly aligned. Starting next week, all 10 of their remaining series are against teams under .500, and six of those are against teams the Blue Jays are battling for the final postseason berth.