Phillies won't rush Arrieta into making season debut

The Philadelphia Phillies are weighing the options to best prepare Jake Arrieta for the upcoming season after the club came to terms with the starter weeks after pitchers and catchers had already reported for spring training.

"The sooner we're able to get him out there, the better chance we have Jake being ready to start the season," general manager Matt Klentak told Jon Morosi of MLB.com. "At the same time, this is a significant investment for a long stretch of time. We want to make sure we do the right things to keep him healthy. We don't want to rush into this and put him in a tough spot."

Arrieta threw his first bullpen session with the club Wednesday. The 2015 NL Cy Young winner said he expects to make his spring debut in a minor-league game Saturday and anticipates throwing around 50 pitches.

Due to a pair of days off early in the season, the Phillies wouldn't need a fifth starter until April 11 against the Cincinnati Reds, their 12th game of the year.

"That gives us some flexibility to work Jake in whenever he's ready, without needing to rush things," Klentak continued.

"There's a possibility he could pitch on the first turn through the rotation. There's a possibility he could have some sort of piggyback start. There's a possibility he could (not pitch) on the first time through the rotation and slot back in on the second time. We don't have enough information yet, but our goals are aligned with Jake's, which is to get him out there as soon as we can and start winning ballgames."

Philadelphia introduced Arrieta at a news conference Tuesday after signing the 32-year-old to a three-year, $75-million deal.