The Philadelphia Phillies have sole possession of the NL East, holding a five-game lead over the New York Mets.
And the division leaders could be about to get even stronger.
Right-hander Aaron Nola is set to return on Sunday against the Nationals in Washington, according to The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes. His comeback will significantly alter the Phillies’ rotation.
Manager Rob Thomson confirmed that the team will shift to a six-man rotation with Nola, Ranger Suárez, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Zack Wheeler, and Taijuan Walker — at least for one cycle.
“Once for sure,” Thomson said. “Then we’ve got some other ideas how to attack this thing going forward.”
Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber noted that one possible plan after the initial cycle would be to pair up two starters in a piggyback situation or give each pitcher a skipped turn.
With 24 games in 25 days ahead, the Phillies’ starters could use the rest. Wheeler has been dealing with soreness since his Aug. 2 start, and both he and Suárez have seen slight dips in velocity lately. Sánchez has already logged more than 150 innings.
“Just getting these guys some extra rest,” Thomson said. “Because we’ve been grinding on them pretty hard all year. The one downside to it is you’ve got take somebody out of your bullpen, so you’re a little bit short there. But we’ll just have to figure it out.”
It’s not as if anyone has pitched poorly enough to be bumped. The current five-man group has a combined 3.18 ERA and a 43-25 record.
Nola, however, will be looking to rebound from a rough stretch before his injury. In nine starts, he went 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA, allowing 11 home runs and striking out 52 batters.
Even with the Phillies’ rotation holding strong, having a healthy Nola down the stretch could prove critical as the postseason approaches.