PHILADELPHIA — Aaron Nola took a small step toward working his way back to action Tuesday, but it wasn’t the mound step he was hoping for.
Nola sprained an ankle on May 8 during pre-game agility drills at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, but was previously scheduled to be activated by the end of this week. That plan would have had him on a bullpen mound Tuesday before the opener of a series against Atlanta.
It turns out that Nola did make it to that mound at Citizens Bank Park, but only to more or less go through the motions.
“It’s a ‘touch and feel’ (session) today, so he’s up on the mound for the first time,” Phils manager Rob Thomson said in trying to describe what Nola did Tuesday. “If that goes well, we’ll move him to a full bullpen.”
Lest anyone — or everyone — wonder what exactly a “touch and feel” might be, Thomson made quick work of an explanation.
“It’s a bullpen session, but it’s not the same intensity and not the same volume (of pitches),” he said.
Thus, Nola will continue with only light rehab work until later in the week, when he’s hoping the pain and swelling in the ankle have subsided to a point of allowing him to crank it up with an actual bullpen session.
“Hopefully it’ll respond again tomorrow and the next day, and (then) … probably push it a little bit more,” Nola said. “For sure, I definitely can tell there’s been improvement. It’s been slower than expected but you can definitely tell there’s improvement. It’s taking a little bit longer than I thought it would, but since I’m here I want to get it right.”
Thus Nola will continue working on an ankle that he said pains him “a little bit, with certain movements. It’s not all the way there yet.”
Thus, he admitted he’d likely need at least one minor league rehab start when he gets to that point in his recovery.
“Yeah, I would think so,” Nola said. “I just want to take it day by day right now and hopefully Thursday it feels really good and I can get on the mound and throw a decent amount.”
At first, Nola thought he could pitch through the injury. On the day after he sprained the ankle he trudged out for a start in Cleveland, and lasted only five innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs in what became a 6-0 loss.
It would soon get worse.
Nola came home with his team and took the hill against the St. Louis Cardinals and was promptly bombed.
Lasting only two outs into the fourth inning, Nola was rapped for a career-high 12 hits and a career-high nine earned runs by the Cards en route to a 14-7 loss. It left him with a 1-7 mark and 6.16 ERA, and with one surprising revelation about that ankle problem he thought he could work around.
“Obviously, I didn’t want to miss a start, but I feel like I kind of had to let it rest a little bit and really try to get it to recover as best as possible,” Nola said. “As I said, it’s taken a little bit longer than I thought it would, but that’s kind of how ankle sprains go. I’m just trying to really do everything I can in the training room and rest as much as possible with it.”
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J.T. Realmuto was dropped to the No. 8 hole in the batting order, with his average slipping to .232 heading into the game Tuesday. Thomson asserted Realmuto would start all three games against the Braves.
“He’s trying a bunch of different stuff,” Thomson said of Realmuto’s offensive struggles, which include a curious slash line of .098/.148/.137 against lefthanded pitching. Yes, Realmuto still bats right-handed.
“He’s working hard to maybe limit his leg kick a little bit, and just get the timing better,” Thomson added. “I just want to take a little pressure off him and put him down (in the lineup) a little bit.”
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Braves ace Spencer Strider, making his second return of the season, started the first of a three-gamer with the Braves Tuesday. He had first debuted on April 5 after a long rehab from elbow surgery. Then he strained a hamstring shortly afterward, which kept him out another few weeks.
Strider entered the game with an uncharacteristic 0-2 record and 5.79 ERA. That wasn’t fooling the Phillies manager: “I know he’s still sort of coming back from rehab, but he’s still Spencer Strider and he’s got great stuff,” Rob Thomson said before the game.
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NOTES >> Speaking of a still-rehabbing Strider, one of his first fastballs went straight into Bryce Harper’s right elbow area in the first inning. Harper fell to the ground writhing in pain. He would be well enough to leave on his own power, but his evening was over early. Luckily for him and the club, X-rays on the elbow were reported to be negative. … Thomson said Andrew Painter’s long rehab road continues with another rehab start Wednesday at Lehigh Valley. He’s planned on six innings at 80-85 pitches. Several rehab starts into his long recovery from Tommy John surgery, Thomson was asked how many more Painter might need. “We’ve always said Julyish, so however many starts that is,” Thomson said.
Source: Berkshire mont
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