Phillies' Aaron Nola Breaks Silence on Unfortunate Injury Setback

"It definitely wasn't the news I was expecting," Nola said. "I felt it a little more than I had in my last bullpen... Just did an MRI, came back with a stress fracture. So it's just trying to do as much as I can with trainers to heal, and take time for it to heal."

Nola was then asked a follow-up question about whether he knew where his stress fracture originated, and if the bullpen session was a catalyst for the injury.

"Honestly, I don't really know," Nola said. "I guess it just came from throwing. I'm not really sure how it comes about. I'm not really sure, I've never had a stress fracture in my rib before, this is really new to me."

Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic also shared part of Nola's answer about his injury on Twitter/X. She provided more context on Nola's feelings amid the injury and his original ankle issue, which landed him on the injured list.

"Aaron Nola said he was told it was a stress fracture in his right rib," wrote Varnes. "Said he feels discomfort when breathing heavy or throwing. The initial injury that sent him to the IL, a right ankle sprain, is feeling better."

While it's encouraging to hear the original right ankle issue is feeling better, the update from Nola on his fractured rib is an unfortunate setback amid his recovery. 

This update from Nola is a tough one for the Phillies. After he signed a massive $172 million deal in the offseason, Nola was expected to be a huge part of the rotation. 

But this injury and his 6.16 ERA start have made the contract look like a poor decision. While there is still plenty of time to rebound, Nola isn't expected back into the rotation anytime soon.