August 14, 2025
Rick Cinclair/Imagn Images
After three minor-league rehab starts, Aaron Nola appears set to rejoin the Phillies this weekend.
According to multiple reporters in Washington, D.C., including Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Phillies veteran right-hander Aaron Nola is expected to be reinstated from the injured list on Sunday morning to start the series finale against the Washington Nationals. From there, the Phillies will begin using a six-man starting rotation.
Aaron Nola will start Sundays 11:35 am game, and the #Phillies will move to a six-man rotation next week with Taijuan Walker as No. 6. Ranger Suárez will start Monday.
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) August 14, 2025
Nola was having a disastrous season before he was placed on the injured list in May, one he rightfully described as the worst of his career. In nine starts with the Phillies in 2025, Nola is 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. He initially went on the injured list due to an ankle ailment but a much more serious rib fracture emerged. He has not pitched on a major-league mound since May 14, but just completed a three-start rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, which he capped with an 11-strikeout start on Tuesday.
The Phillies using a six-man rotation once felt inevitable because of the probable promotion of top prospect Andrew Painter. Instead, it is veteran Taijuan Walker set to be the sixth starter, with a Painter call-up feeling less likely each time the 22-year-old has a rough outing in Triple-A. Walker has earned every bit of the opportunity to remain in his preferred role as a starter; he has thrived there after a brief return to the bullpen.
Between Nola making his return after a three-plus-month layoff, Zack Wheeler battling shoulder discomfort and a decrease in velocity, and Ranger Suárez struggling mightily, adding some extra days of rest may help the Phillies keep their starters fresh during the stretch run of the season.
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