Arrieta may require surgery to remove bone spur in elbow

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Jake Arrieta has a bone spur in his elbow.

Manager Gabe Kapler said Sunday that Arrieta will meet with team doctors during the All-Star break to determine if he can continue pitching with the injury.

While no decision has been made, it's likely that surgery will eventually be needed to remove the bone spur, according to Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb of The Athletic.

Kapler added that Arrieta told him about the bone spur in the days leading up to his most recent start, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Arrieta lost his command during Saturday's 6-5 loss to the New York Mets, hitting a career-high three batters in 4 1/3 innings - twice with changeups. He suggested to reporters postgame that he was not 100 percent healthy.

"Well, I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever hit guys with changeups multiple times in a game," Arrieta said.

The 33-year-old dealt with bone spurs in 2011 while with the Baltimore Orioles.

Arrieta didn't mention the injury specifically, but he did allude to discomfort impacting his effectiveness in recent weeks.

"I labored physically," Arrieta said. "I wasn’t able to put the ball where I wanted to. It’s been that way for a few weeks. Just physically not in a great spot."

The season started relatively well but has been more of a mixed bag over his last 13 starts. Since April 27, Arrieta is 5-5 with a 5.58 ERA and has twice been chased from games before completing five innings, including Saturday.

Arrieta can opt out of his current deal after this season. Otherwise, he will earn $20 million in 2020. The Phillies then have a pair of $22.5-million club options for 2021 and 2022.