Spencer Arrighetti, the right-hander Toronto picked up in a trade just this past Monday, pulled up lame in his very first minor-league rehab start with the Blue Jays organization Thursday night. It was supposed to be a quick tune-up before he joined the big-league rotation, but the plan looks to be completely derailed now.
Ready to Pitch? Not So Fast.
The Blue Jays grabbed Arrighetti from the Astros in exchange for center fielder Daulton Varsho. The 28-year-old hurler was on the injured list with right foot nerve irritation after his last Astros start on July 24. Funny thing is, a day after the trade, Arrighetti threw a bullpen session for Toronto coaches and declared himself “ready to pitch.” Blue Jays manager John Schneider had made it clear: one minor-league rehab start and then straight into the rotation. That was the dream, right?
A Brief Glimpse of Promise
Arrighetti was pitching for the Triple-A Buffalo Bison when the wheels fell off. He looked sharp early, carving up a perfect first inning. He even navigated a scoreless second, despite walking the first two batters. But then came the third inning. After getting the leadoff hitter to pop out, he threw just three more pitches before reportedly signaling to the dugout for a trainer. He was out of the game with only 39 pitches thrown. This comes after a season with Houston where he went 7-5 with a 4.60 ERA across 17 starts, but those last nine starts were rough, showing an 0-5 record and an 8.34 ERA.
This latest setback means Toronto’s quick integration plan for Arrighetti is on hold, who knows for how long. Meanwhile, Daulton Varsho, the piece traded for Arrighetti and a free agent after this season, has started all three games in center field for the Astros since the deal, going 2-for-10 with four walks for a .429 on-base percentage. We are going to have to wait and see what the full extent of this new injury is before we know anything more about Arrighetti’s future with the Blue Jays.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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