Phillies Get Good News on Aaron Nola Amid Challenging 2025 MLB Season

Nola, 32, is experiencing his by-far worst campaign as a big leaguer. Heading into 2025, he had accumulated a 104-79 record, a 3.70 ERA, a 3.45 FIP, and four top-11 Cy Young finishes, including three top-seven finishes.

Injuries have derailed Nola’s season, and his on-field performance has not done much to augment his profile. Over nine starts and 49 and 2/3 innings, he is 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA, a 5.02 FIP, and 52 strikeouts to 16 walks.

Nola’s imminent return is still a welcome sight for the Phillies, but his acclimation is not as straightforward as one might think.

Philadelphia sits in first place in the National League East at 57-43, and will duke it out with the New York Mets, who are 0.5 games back, over the rest of the summer. A majority of this damage has been done without Nola.

Now, his overall body of work still demands opportunities, but who loses their rotation job to him?

It won’t be Zack Wheeler (2.39 ERA, 2.68 FIP), Ranger Suárez (2.66 ERA, 3.07 FIP), or Christopher Sánchez (2.50 ERA, 2.75 FIP). Jesús Luzardo (4.29 ERA, 2.87 FIP) has had his moments, but has also struggled with consistency. Taijuan Walker (3.75 ERA, 4.57 FIP) recently regained starter status and has seen varied results.

Ideally, Nola can slot in for Luzardo or Walker (likely the right-handed Walker). There is also the question of top prospects Mick Abel and Andrew Painter, who could find themselves elsewhere after the trade deadline with this surplus of pitching.