Before the start of Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies’ starting pitcher Aaron Nola has been placed on the Injured List with a right ankle sprain, Rob Thomson announced. Nola, who is 1-7 on the year with a 6.16 ERA, suffered the injury before his start in Cleveland on May 9. Daniel Robert will remain with the Phillies on Friday after being called up for the doubleheader on Wednesday.
Mick Abel will make his Major League debut for the Phillies on Sunday after being scratched from tonight’s game for AAA Lehigh Valley. Following Sunday, Abel will return to AAA Lehigh Valley, and Taijuan Walker will rejoin the rotation for the Phillies.
How it Happened
Per Thomson, Nola aggravated his ankle doing some agility work before his start in Cleveland last week. The Phillies believed at the time that Nola could work through the injury. Nola made two starts on the injured ankle, earning the loss in both outings while allowing 13 earned runs over 8.2 innings of work.
The Phillies are confident that Nola will not need more than the Major League-required 15 days on the Injured List before returning to the squad. Coming off a career-worst 12 hits allowed against the Cardinals on Wednesday, Nola’s Injured List stint may be coming at the perfect time for the Phillies’ home-grown starting pitcher.
Return of the Mick
Daniel Robert will remain with the Phillies to provide support out of the bullpen over the next several days. The Phillies’ No. 8 prospect, Mick Abel, will make his MLB debut on Sunday, starting in the Phillies’ series finale against the Pirates. He will go up against Pirates’ phenom Paul Skenes.
After Sunday’s start, Abel will return to Lehigh Valley while Taijuan Walker, fresh off a three-inning outing on Wednesday, will make the start for the Phillies on Wednesday in Colorado.
Crístopher Sánchez, who was scheduled to make the start for the Phillies on Sunday, will start on Monday instead, with Jesús Luzardo likely making the start on Tuesday for the Phillies.
Nola’s first IL stint since 2017
Aaron Nola has been a mainstay in the Phillies’ rotation since joining the team in 2015. Next month, Nola will hit 10 years of service time in the Major Leagues, an accomplishment only a handful make.
This stint on the injured list will be Nola’s first since dealing with a lower back strain in 2017.
“He takes a lot of pride in getting 200 innings, getting his 30-plus starts, being available for his teammates”, said Thomson on Friday. “That’s what he’s all about. So he’s disappointed.”
The Phillies will continue without Nola as they host the Pirates for a three-game weekend series at Citizens Bank Park.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
