Reds' Arroyo thinks he may have pitched his last game

Every pitcher - every athlete - has an expiry date, and Cincinnati Reds starter Bronson Arroyo has a feeling he's reached his.

After giving up five earned runs in three innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, the 40-year-old said the condition of his injured shoulder is deteriorating and it might have been his final game, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer's C. Trent Rosencrans.

"I think my arm is probably going to be checkmate," Arroyo told reporters. "I've got some tears in my shoulder we've been masking with cortisone for a while and, you know, it held up for like the first three months. And then I got another shot, and the second one, it just kind of disappeared after three weeks."

In 14 starts this season, Arroyo has gone 3-6 with a 7.35 ERA, allowing close to three home runs per nine innings pitched - a career high. With Homer Bailey on the verge of a return, there may not be a place for Arroyo in the Reds' rotation much longer.

The fact he even made it back to the mound, however, is an accomplishment in itself.

Before the start of this season, Arroyo hadn't pitched in MLB since June 15, 2014. His last appearance came as a starter for the Arizona Diamondbacks in another game against the Dodgers.

He suffered a torn UCL, landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career, and missed the next two seasons.

Arroyo debuted in 2000 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, though he didn't hit his stride until he joined the Boston Red Sox. He then spent the bulk of his career with the Reds, who couldn't make it past the NLDS during his tenure.

During his first stint with Cincinnati from 2006-13, Arroyo failed to reach 200 innings only once ... and that season, he threw 199 innings. Never a big strikeout pitcher - over his career, he's notched 5.80 strikeouts per nine innings pitched - he relied more on location and stamina.