BREAKING: Jake Arrieta Opts to Undergo Elbow Surgery and Will Miss Season

The Philadelphia Phillies depth chart just got a lot thinner. They've struggled with starting pitching depth all summer, and the newest development is going to be tough to fix with no waiver trade deadline.

Phillies starter Jake Arrieta has been dealing with elbow issues for some time, and though the club hoped it could heal on its own, Arrieta has finally opted for surgery to remove a bone spur in the elbow.

Arrieta's choice to call it a season will be a huge blow to the Phillies as they hope to stay in the playoff race and earn a wild card spot, but it's probably the right decision. The 33-year-old has managed to pitch into the 6th inning in just 1 of his last 7 starts, a direct result of pitching through a painful bone spur.

The former NL Cy Young award winner will be a big loss simply because he's an experienced arm with playoff pedigree, but his stats this year aren't exactly irreplaceable. The feisty righty has pitched to an 8-8 record and 4.64 ERA. Still, though, losing Arrieta will test the Phillies organizational depth, as Jason Vargas will be pushed to the number four slot in the rotation.

Hopefully surgery will work out favorably in the long-term for Arrieta, and we can see shades of what made him a Cy Young Award winner just four years ago. If he gets back to his peak form, the Phillies could be a menace in 2020.