Arroyo inching closer to making team

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Reds manager Bryan Price wasn't yet ready Sunday to say that veteran pitcher Bronson Arroyo has made the club. To make the starting five, however, Arroyo appears to only need to get through the final days of camp healthy.
Trying to come back from two years out of the big leagues as a non-roster invite, Arroyo is scheduled to pitch in a Minor League game on Tuesday. He will remain in Arizona after camp breaks to pitch in another Minor League game on April 2.
"I think what we have to see, and we've seen it for four innings, we have to see it for those five- and six-inning outings," Price said. "Beyond just the general health, I'm really pleased with how he's pitched and how he's rebounded from pitching.
"The question coming in was the durability and the ability to provide length. I would be very satisfied and optimistic to see as he goes through his next two outings if he's able to satisfy that requirement. I don't have any doubt at this point in time that he's going to be pitching in the big leagues with us."
Arroyo, 40, pitched for the Reds from 2006-13 before enduring Tommy John surgery on his elbow and a shoulder surgery in 2014 with the Diamondbacks. He has a 4.70 ERA through three starts -- including one outing that was shortened when he was struck in the head by a thrown ball.
In his last start on Thursday vs. the White Sox, Arroyo gave up two earned runs and four hits over four innings.
"The thing I want to make sure we check off before he is pitching for our club is that he has done everything that he needs to do to check off every box to make sure that he is confident that he's got the workload to be prepared to pitch back in the big leagues as a starting pitcher," Price said.
"No one knows what the threshold is. He hasn't pitched for two-and-a-half years, but he's pitched for [15 years] in the big leagues. The most important thing is he knows and he's confident that he's ready to take on a workload. He's such an honest and direct guy, he'll let us know."
Price and general manager Dick Williams still have to discuss the final roster decisions, including Arroyo.
"I'm not going to say anything until we're ready to announce that," Price said.