Philadelphia Phillies pitcher has been a model of consistency and durability. The 31-year-old right-hander, now in his 11th MLB season, hadn’t missed a scheduled start due to injury since May 2015. So when the Phillies placed him on the 15-day injured list with a sprained right ankle, it marked a rare and unexpected setback.
Despite the personal disappointment, he didn’t dwell on himself while speaking with reporters on Friday. Known for his strong character and team-oriented mindset, he was more focused on how his absence might affect his teammates than on his own situation.
“It’s frustrating,” Aaron Nola admitted. “I haven’t been on the IL in a long time. I work hard to stay healthy so I can take the ball every fifth day.”
He also shared details about the injury — how it occurred on May 8 during agility drills on a rest day, how he managed to pitch through it the next day in Cleveland, and how it worsened during his most recent outing against St. Louis, which turned out to be one of his toughest performances. The Phillies remain hopeful that he’ll be ready to return after the minimum IL stint.
“It’s definitely not that comfortable,” Nola said. “It felt a bit better between the Cleveland and St. Louis starts. I thought it would’ve cleared up by now, but it’s still lingering. Hopefully, it goes away soon.”
Still, his main concern was about the team — specifically, who would fill in for him in Sunday’s game at home against Pittsburgh.
