SAN DIEGO – The second he came out of the game Monday – nine runs to his ledger in just 4 2/3 innings, his team heading to a 9-2 defeat to the San Diego Padres – Bronson Arroyo’s mind kicked into high gear.
His comeback with the Cincinnati Reds hadn’t being going as hoped. His ERA sat at 7.01, his fastball at 85 mph. Despite more than two years away from pitching and two surgeries to fix an aging body, he felt like a stronger 40-year-old pitcher in June than he did in April. But something wasn’t right.