Aaron Nola is scheduled to be activated from the injured list and start for the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday against the Washington Nationals.
With Nola’s return, manager Rob Thomson told reporters on Thursday that the Phillies will go with a six-man rotation for at least one turn.
Jesús Luzardo started the series opener on Thursday with Zack Wheeler scheduled for Friday and Taijuan Walker — who Thomson said was the No. 6 starter — going on Saturday. After Nola starts on Sunday, the rest of the rotation will line up with Ranger Suárez starting against the Seattle Mariners on Monday, followed by Cristopher Sánchez on Tuesday.
Thomson’s decision might look smarter after Luzardo gave up three runs on four hits and three walks in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Nationals. Suárez has also struggled recently, allowing five or more runs in three of his past five starts. In Thomson’s view, the starters’ workload is wearing them down.
“Just getting some of these guys some extra rest because we’ve been grinding on them pretty hard all year,” Thomson said, via the Associated Press. “The one downside to it is you’ve got to take somebody out of your bullpen, so you’re a little short there but we’ll just have to figure it out.”
Philadelphia leads MLB with 687 1/3 innings from its starting pitchers. Sánchez tops Phillies starters with 150 2/3 innings, while Wheeler has logged 144 2/3 frames. After Thursday’s start, Luzardo is at 139 innings, followed by Suárez with 112 1/3.
Nola returning to the rotation should help relieve some of those innings. However, he may take a while before he can build up a higher workload. Nola hasn’t pitched for the Phillies since May 14 after suffering a sprained right ankle that he initially tried to pitch through before going on the IL. That may be why he compiled a 6.16 ERA and 1-7 record before being sidelined.
In his three rehab starts, Nola collected a 2.19 ERA in 12 1/3 innings with 17 strikeouts — including 11 in his final appearance.
At 69-52, the Phillies go into the weekend with a five-game lead over the New York Mets (64-57) for first place in the NL East. The Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, 4-3.
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