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Rob Thomson Gives Positive Spin on Stumbling Aaron Nola

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Mike Ostrowski | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 11:05 AM ET

Rob Thomson isn't the type of manager to throw his players under the bus often. That sentiment held up when asked about his struggling starting pitcher.

Aaron Nola suffered his fourth consecutive loss to begin 2025 Wednesday night, allowing six earned runs and raising his ERA to an uncharacteristically high 6.65. It was also the first time in his 11-year career that he's walked four batters in consecutive starts.

Despite that, Philly's skipper said his rough first inning - where he allowed four of those runs - doesn't tell the whole story.

"I thought in the first inning, his command was off," Thomson told media after the game. "But from innings two through five, I thought he was really good. I thought his stuff got better. The breaking ball got sharper, change-up was good, and he was throwing strikes. His command was good."

Rob also believes that there isn't a health issue in play and that his longest-tenured pitcher will bounce back soon.

"I just think that his track record after April is pretty good," Thomson said. "No matter what kind of stuff he's got, he's going to grind. He's going to battle."

Rob Thomson isn’t “concerned” about Aaron Nola in regards to health. Said he thought Nola battled after a rough first inning. pic.twitter.com/VQv3PVc7lv
— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) April 17, 2025

The comment about Nola's track record is a bit strange to make. While Thomson also acknowledged that Aaron has had some good Aprils too, he doesn't have a recent tendency to start the year off this bad. The last time he had an April ERA higher than his season average was 2022 - the only time it's happened since before the COVID-shortened season. And that was by less than a run an inning, not a mark that nearly doubles last season's average.

Regardless, it doesn't change the fact that Nola is being counted on as a big part of the Philly rotation. He's only in the second season of a seven-year, $172 million contract extension - one that was signed in the hopes he'd maintain form through the current contending window.

But father time isn't known to take prisoners, and the 31-year-old Nola has well over a thousand innings on his arm already. Wishful thinking alone won't bring him back to form. If Thomson is to be right, it will take some serious work, both physical and mental, from the veteran arm.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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