Phillies' Aaron Nola Confirms Rib Stress Fracture Amid Setback
Phillies' Aaron Nola Confirms Rib Stress Fracture Amid Setback originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Philadelphia Phillies placed starting pitcher Aaron Nola on the injured list with a right ankle sprain in May. Since he's been out, the Phillies have cobbled together innings from bullpen games, Taijuan Walker, and, fortunately, the emergence of Mick Abel.
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But Nola suffered a setback in the form of a different issue that popped up last week. Nola had suffered a fracture right rib and has since been deemed to be out until at least mid-July, and after the All-Star break.
Ahead of the Phillies' series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Nola spoke with reporters for the first time since his setback. There, he broke his silence on how he's feeling and where he stands in his recovery process.
On Pattison on Twitter/X shared Nola's comments on his injury, setback, and how he's dealing with it going forward.
"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."
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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."
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) walks off the field after the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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.
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"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.
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Related: Phillies Get Horrible Aaron Nola Injury Update
Related: Phillies' Zack Wheeler Reveals Retirement Plan
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
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