According to general manager Dave Dombrowski, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola could return to the rotation sooner than expected. When you think of injuries that befall a pitcher, ankle issues don’t usually come to mind. Most fans worry about labrum tears, rotator cuff problems, or the dreaded Tommy John surgery.
In that way, the Phillies caught a major break with their star pitcher. What does the timeline look like for his return? The first-place Phils battled hard to reach the top of the division. Now, they must hold that spot to secure a better playoff position. Team president Dave Dombrowski recently shared some insight.
When Could Aaron Nola Return for the Phillies?
On May 9, Nola complained of pain in his right ankle. He still took the mound that night and even made the next start, but he didn’t look like himself in either outing.
The former All-Star pitched 8.2 innings through those two starts, giving up 13 earned runs on 18 hits. He struck out seven and walked three. The Phillies placed him on the injured list, retroactive to May 15. Team president Dave Dombrowski joined the “New York Post Sports” podcast to talk about when the veteran might be back.
“I’ll start from the injury factor. He’s been a traditionally slow starter, so out of the gate, he wasn’t with the same velocity, a couple of miles an hour dropped. But then he had picked it up and had pitched some good games in a row very well. Right before his start against Cleveland, in Tampa, the day before, he twisted his ankle. They told me about it and thought, ‘Oh, it’s not too bad, he’ll be fine.’”
“He wasn’t fine, and the reality is it was hurt a little bit worse than what we thought and what Aaron thought too. He’s getting better daily. It’s not like it’s an imminent return. He could, I think, return on the 30th, this Friday. It won’t be then, but I don’t think he’s far behind that, and I do think he’ll continue to pitch very well for us.”
Zach Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo have stepped up while Nola recovers. The duo has a combined record of 11-1 with a 2.29 ERA. In the back end of the rotation, Christopher Sanchez, Taijuan Walker, and Ranger Suarez have a record of 10-3.
With that depth, Dombrowski can take his time bringing Nola back into the mix. When he does return, expect the Phillies to keep him on a strict pitch count.