Jake Arrieta exits game in third inning with apparent leg injury

In what looks like unfortunate news for Cubs fans, Jake Arrieta left Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third inning due to what appears to be an apparent right leg injury.

After attempting warmup pitches, Arrieta reportedly met with a trainer before walking off in apparent pain and leaving the game.

Additional information about the extent or severity of the injury hasn’t yet been released, but should it turn out to indeed be a hamstring injury it would be unwelcome news for the Cubs as they try to hold on to their four-game NL Central lead over the Brewers.

Arrieta is coming off of a great August, posting the lowers ERA in the league for the month at an impressive 1.21. He has a 3.36 ERA on the season with 153 strikeouts and a 1.184 whip in 158 innings pitched for Chicago.

If Arrieta is lost for the year because of this injury, it could also be the last time Chicago fans watch him pitch in a Cubs uniform as he is a free agent at the end of this season.

If you assume a stint on the DL is coming for Arrieta, that would mean that every starter that the Cubs began this year with has officially spent time on the disabled list. He would join Brett Anderson, Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester, and John Lackey with that distinction.

While it’s entirely possible they could still make a deep run in the playoffs without Arrieta, he’s an important piece of the Cubs rotation and he will be missed should he not be able to contribute for the foreseeable future.

UPDATE: Arrieta received treatment on his hamstring during the game, and according to CSN Chicago Cubs beat writer Patrick Mooney, that will continue to be the strategy for now. Tomorrow the team and Arrieta will decide on whether an MRI is necessary in addition to ongoing treatment and monitoring.