Philadelphia (AP) – Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola has faced another setback after returning to the mound, with an MRI revealing an injury to his right breast cap, which will keep him sidelined for two weeks.
Nola had already been out since early May due to a right ankle sprain, which was healing slower than anticipated. He experienced stiffness on the right side last week in Toronto, leading to the cancellation of a scheduled session with live batters.
Following tests this week, the Phillies identified a stress response in his right thoracic cage. Manager Rob Thomson mentioned before Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs that Nola is uncertain about how the injury occurred.
Nola has a record of 1-7 with an ERA of 6.16 over nine starts this season. He previously signed a $172 million, seven-year contract ahead of the 2024 season but suffered the ankle injury during a pre-game agility drill at Steinbrenner Field while playing the Rays on May 8th.
In his 11 seasons with the Phillies, Nola has a career record of 105-86 and an ERA of 3.78.
Thomson also noted that slugger Bryce Harper is on the mend. Harper landed on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation of the right wrist last Friday.
The two-time National League MVP and eight-time All-Star is batting .258 in 57 games this season, with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and eight stolen bases. Harper missed five games from May 26th to June 2nd due to a hit on the pitch from Atlanta’s Spencer Strider.
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Source: apnews.com