Nola seems unlikely to return before All-Star break with rib injury

Nola seems unlikely to return before All-Star break with rib injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

What began as a potential minimum stay on the injured list has turned into a long-term absence for Aaron Nola.

An MRI conducted Monday night showed that Nola is dealing with a stress reaction in his right rib. He had already been on the IL since May 15 with a right ankle sprain.

The Phillies initially thought Nola might only miss a start or two with the ankle sprain but it didn’t heal as quickly as expected. He began ramping up for a return about 10 days ago and was scheduled to throw live batting practice last Thursday in Toronto with a rehab assignment to follow if everything went well.

But Nola woke up one morning during the Toronto series feeling tightness in his right side and the Phillies shut him back down from throwing.

Now, he won’t even play catch for the next two weeks.

“He’s no-throw for two weeks,” manager Rob Thomson said Tuesday. “I don’t have a date of return but I know he’s not even going to play catch for two weeks.

“He doesn’t really remember the moment that it happened. I think he just woke up one day and it was sore. The MRI confirmed it.”

At this point, it is highly unlikely that Nola returns to the Phillies’ rotation before the All-Star break (July 14-17). It could very well be even longer than that. Even if Nola resumes throwing two weeks from Tuesday, he’ll have gone nearly six weeks since last pitching at an intensity higher than a bullpen session.

The progression to return would require at least one bullpen session and maybe two, followed by live batting practice and then likely a multi-start rehab assignment.

“You know Noles, he’s a competitor, he wants to play, he wants to pitch, he wants to help us win,” Thomson said.

It had been so long since Nola missed any time at all. His last stint on the injured list for non-COVID reasons was April 2017, when he missed two weeks with a back strain.

Nola’s extended absence means Mick Abel will be here to stay a while longer. It means nothing new, Thomson said, for top prospect Andrew Painter, who is still expected to debut with the Phillies soon after the All-Star break.

Abel dazzled in his first two starts, allowing just a run over 11⅓ walk-free innings to the Pirates and Blue Jays with 11 strikeouts. His third was Tuesday against the Cubs.

“What I’ve seen so far from Mick is a guy that’s really mature,” Thomson said. “His poise and composure is fantastic, his strike-throwing ability, his ability to spin the baseball for strikes. I hope he keeps it going.”