What was initially expected to be a short stint on the sidelines for Aaron Nola may now require a bit more patience from Phillies fans. The right-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list (IL) on May 15 with a sprained right ankle, but his absence is now expected to extend at least through the All-Star break (July 14–17)—and possibly beyond.
As Nola ramped up for a return, he experienced discomfort in his right side, and subsequent imaging revealed a stress fracture in his right rib, further delaying his timeline.
The news came as a surprise to Nola, who hadn’t landed on the IL in eight years. In fact, his last IL stint (not including COVID-19) came in 2017, when he missed just over two weeks with a low back strain.
“It definitely wasn’t the news I was expecting,” Nola told reporters ahead of last Friday’s series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, marking his first public comments since the stress fracture was revealed.
He further noted that he still experiences pain when breathing deeply: “When I breathe really heavy and my ribcage gets big, and obviously throwing.”
Throughout his career, Nola has exemplified remarkable durability. As Phillies Nation points out, he is one of only four major league pitchers to make at least 30 starts in all six full seasons since 2018. Paul Casella of MLB.com further underscored just how rare it is for Nola to miss extended time, noting, “From the time Nola returned from that back injury on May 21, 2017, until he was placed on the IL on May 15, he made 241 starts—five more than any other pitcher. His 1,466 1/3 innings during that span were also 82 1/3 more than anyone else.”
When asked when fans might see him back on the mound, Nola expressed uncertainty, saying, “I really don’t know. I’ve never had an injury like this before. I feel like it would be different if it was a muscular type of thing.”
Manager Rob Thomson echoed the uncertainty, saying, “I have no idea,” when asked about a potential return date for his starter.
The exact cause of the injury remains unclear. “Honestly, I don’t really know,” Nola admitted. “I guess it’s from throwing and working that area a lot. I’m not sure.”
Before landing on the injured list, Nola had posted a 1–7 record with a 6.16 ERA, 52 strikeouts, and a 1.51 WHIP.
With Nola’s stay on the IL extended, Phillies fans can likely expect to see more of rookie pitcher Mick Abel, the club’s No. 8 prospect. Abel made his fourth start of the season Monday night against Miami, allowing just one run over five innings while throwing 50 of his 77 pitches for strikes. Since being called up, the 23-year-old right-hander has logged 20.1 innings with a 2.21 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 17:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Andrew Painter, the Phillies’ top overall prospect currently at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, could also be on his way to Philadelphia—depending on how long Nola remains sidelined and how well Abel continues to perform.
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