Aaron Nola Suffers New Setback in His Return
Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola has experienced another setback in his attempt to return to the mound. An MRI revealed an injury to his right rib cage, which will force him to stop activity for two weeks.
Nola had been out of action since the beginning of May due to a sprain in his right ankle, whose recovery has been slower than expected. Last week, he felt stiffness on his right side during his stay in Toronto, which forced the cancellation of a planned session against hitters.
This week, Nola underwent tests that revealed a stress reaction in the right rib cage. Phillies manager Rob Thomson reported before Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs that Nola was unsure how the injury occurred.
In his nine starts, Nola has a 1-7 record with an ERA of 6.16. The pitcher, who signed a seven-year, $172 million contract before the 2024 season, injured his ankle on May 8 during agility drills prior to the game against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.
In 11 seasons with the Phillies, Nola has a record of 105-86 with an ERA of 3.78.
Thomson also mentioned that star hitter Bryce Harper is starting to feel better as he recovers from inflammation in his right wrist, which led him to the 10-day injured list last Friday.
The two-time National League Most Valuable Player and eight-time All-Star is batting .258 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and eight stolen bases in 57 games. Harper missed five games, from May 26 to June 2, due to a bruise on his right elbow after being hit by a pitch from Atlanta’s Spencer Strider.
