Did Phillies' pitching problems just get worse?

With Wheeler on the 15-day injured list with a right extremity blood clot and no real timeline on his return, having Nola back in the rotation could have been a boost for the Phillies as they entered Sunday with a five-game lead over the New York Mets in the National League East. 

Now, however, it seems there could be more questions about Nola and when (and if) he will bounce back to form.

Finding a way to overcome Wheeler's departure will be critical for the Phillies. The 35-year-old Wheeler was in the NL Cy Young Award discussion with a 10-5 mark and a 2.71 ERA. In 149.2 innings, he has limited batters to a .197/.253/.349 slash line and leads the NL in WHIP (0.94), strikeouts (195), strikeout rate (33.3%), xFIP (2.50), xERA (2.44) and strikeout-walk rate (27.7%).

Those numbers have helped the Phillies have the second-lowest ERA from their starters among MLB's 30 teams at 3.42 heading into Sunday's action. Excellent numbers, but can they stay that low with Wheeler out of the rotation and Nola struggling upon his return?

Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez have certainly pitched well, providing a foundation for the Phillies moving forward with Wheeler as a question mark and Nola a potential work in progress. However, if Wheeler isn't able to return in time to impact the postseason and Nola continues to struggle, it could be a worst-case scenario for the Phillies' rotation as Red October looms in the City of Brotherly Love.

Wheeler's health is absolutely a priority for the Phillies, but an even bigger short-term fix for Philadelphia is figuring out what is keeping Nola from being the dominant pitcher he has been in the past. Until then, the Phillies have two big question marks in the rotation that no team wants to have heading into the final weeks of the regular season.