Aaron Nola Gives Update on His Injured Ankle, When He Might Return for Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies veteran right-handed starting pitcher Aaron Nola threw a bullpen on Tuesday as he moves toward a return from a sprained ankle.

Nola, who has struggled to the tune of a 6.16 ERA so far this season, landed on the injured list after a May 14 start against the St. Louis Cardinals in which he surrendered nine earned runs in 3.2 innings of work.

Nola reportedly suffered the injury before his May 9 start against the Cleveland Guardians, and it feasibly contributed to his struggles against the Cardinals.

After throwing at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, Nola told reporters that he "still felt something" in the ailing right ankle, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The right-hander also added that he will not be able to jump right back into the Major League rotation when he is ready, and that he will need a rehab start in the minor leagues.

The rest of that unit has been phenomenal, ensuring that Nola's struggles have not significantly harmed the team.

Ace Zack Wheeler and key offseason acquisition Jesus Luzardo have performed like Cy Young candidates, and Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez and Taijuan Walker have provided regular quality outings, as well.

Nola seemed to be rounding back into form prior to May 9, as he worked seven innings of one-run ball against the Chicago Cubs on April 27. He followed that up with six shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his last start before tweaking his ankle on May 3.

If that version of Nola is the one that returns from the injured list, there is no question that Philadelphia will have the best rotation in the National League — if not all of baseball.

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