The struggling Philadelphia Phillies absorbed another major injury blow to a star player on Tuesday.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson revealed that an MRI showed a stress reaction in pitcher Aaron Nola’s rib cage. Nola will be shut down for at least two weeks, and may be out until after the All-Star break in July.
An MRI showed a stress reaction in Aaron Nola’s right rib cage, Rob Thomson said. Nola will not throw for at least two weeks. A rather significant setback that probably means he doesn’t return until after All-Star break.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) June 10, 2025
Nola has been on the injured list for the last month due to an ankle injury, and he has not pitched since May 14. The fact that this new problem does not appear related to that is definitely a major concern, and it means Nola is looking at a spell on the sidelines that may ultimately exceed two months.
Nola had been struggling even before his injury, with an uncharacteristically high 6.16 ERA in his first nine starts of the 2025 season.
The Phillies are dealing with significant attrition right now even beyond Nola. Bryce Harper is also out for the foreseeable future due to a lingering wrist injury that also appears to be cause for concern.
This latest setback comes amid a stretch that had seen the Phillies lose nine of their last ten games prior to a walk-off win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday. They sit at 38-28 entering play Tuesday, four games back of the New York Mets in the National League East.
The Phillies have enough talent to absorb two big losses like this, but they will not want to be without Harper or Nola for too long. Unfortunately, it looks like they will be without both for at least a week, if not more.
