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Olney: Surgery or no surgery? Jake Arrieta's decision to have lasting impact

Should Jake Arrieta keep pitching with a bone spur in his elbow while the Phillies chase a playoff spot or shut it down for the sake of 2020 and beyond? Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports

When Jake Arrieta joined the Philadelphia Phillies, he arrived on a private plane in the middle of spring training, posing on the tarmac for pictures after landing as the would-be savior for a pitching staff badly in need of a veteran anchor. At the time, it seemed as if he had joined a growing power.

The flight he took Sunday evening must've felt very different, with an impending decision looming over him -- his best interests perhaps diverging from those of the Phillies.