Reds pay tribute to Arroyo with Red Sox in town

With his final encore likely complete, the Cincinnati Reds picked the right day to honor starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo.

Arroyo made an improbable return to the mound this season after missing both 2015 and 2016 due to an elbow injury suffered in June of 2014. It was the first time he was placed on the disabled list, and it nearly cost him his career.

The laid-back, guitar-playing Arroyo played parts of nine seasons with the Reds, including his lone All-Star appearance in 2006, and was one of the most recognizable faces in the franchise. As such, the team honored him with a personalized guitar before Saturday's game.

The 40-year-old hasn't played since June, and he expressed a likelihood that he may not step foot on another MLB mound, and that his career may be over.

The visiting Boston Red Sox made the event even more appropriate. Arroyo was the last active player from the 2004 World Series-winning squad to remain in the majors.

While Dustin Pedroia didn't make his MLB debut until the year after Arroyo left Boston for Cincinnati, the second baseman presented the starter with a piece of Fenway Park's scoreboard. Emblazoned with Arroyo's number 61, it was a fitting tribute.

Arroyo's numbers don't jump off the page, but his durability was elite. He pitched at least 200 innings in eight of nine seasons between 2005 and 2013. The only time he missed the mark, in 2011, he still tossed 199.

At 40, Arroyo has likely pitched for the last time, but he's basking in the glory of the moment.