Cincinnati Reds: How long will Bronson Arroyo stay in the rotation?

Bronson Arroyo was a key catalyst in the Cincinnati Reds rotation throughout the 2000s, but his return to the bigs hasn’t been promising. Could he be bumped from the rotation?

It was a heartfelt story.

Cincinnati Reds fans watched as Bronson Arroyo took the mound at the Great American Ballpark Thursday for the first time since 2014.

But the jubilation and eagerness that Arroyo had displayed turned into frustration six innings later.

So far, the Bronson Arroyo experiment hasn’t worked out as planned for Cincinnati, as the 40-year-old has posted a 9.90 ERA through his first two starts. Even he is aware that his performance has been less-than-stellar.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Arroyo has struggled. The lanky 6-foot-4 hurler doesn’t boast the stuff he had in 2006 when he was an All-Star. His fastball sat in the mid-80s in both of his starts, and his off-speed pitches didn’t fool many hitters – he allowed 13 hits in 10 innings.

Reds manager Bryan Price might not wait long before pulling Arroyo from the rotation, considering he has plenty of options to replace him with.

Cody Reed, Robert Stephenson and Michael Lorenzen could all take his spot eventually, at least if Cincinnati wants to give its younger prospects some experience. But with Rookie Davis out, one of these pitchers will probably take over for him, rather than Arroyo.

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Thus, Arroyo will likely stay in the rotation for now, barring a stretch of poor starts in the coming weeks. His next two starts will be at home against the Orioles and on the road against the Brewers – both teams can rake, ranking in the top six in home runs so far.

And he could rebound, despite his lackluster stuff. He did toss a complete game three years against the Nationals while pitching for the Diamondbacks, throwing in the high 80s.

With the Reds currently in first place, there’s no urgency to replace him. His durability could help keep him in the rotation as well, as he threw at least 200 innings in nearly nine straight seasons from 2005 to 2013.

Sure, he might allow some crooked numbers in those innings, but he could eat up some innings and help the team save their younger arms for future years.

Cincinnati’s young staff has pitched well anyways, ranking 16th in the league in ERA, even with Arroyo’s bloated ERA.

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Besides, if he decides to retire or is kicked from the rotation, it will give him more time to focus on his music career.

Hats off to you, Bronson Arroyo.

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