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The Philadelphia Phillies know they must add to their bullpen at the trade deadline.
How they go about adding to it is still up in the air with over a month to go before July 31. There are plenty of options for them in hopes of continuing to compete in the National League East, but Matt Gelb of The Athletic reveals a lot of it comes down to Aaron Nola’s health.
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“An MRI discovered a stress reaction in one of Nola’s right ribs. He will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks,” wrote Gelb. “That timeline makes it unlikely that Nola throws another pitch for the Phillies before the All-Star break. It’s a setback that could affect how the Phillies approach the trade deadline. Mick Abel, the rookie elevated to the rotation, has become even more important. The front office has entertained the idea of fortifying the relievers later this season by bumping a starter or two to the bullpen. But all of that is contingent on a healthy and effective Nola.”
Nola has been durable for most of his career to this point, which makes the timing of his injury even more significant. The Phillies have lost nine of their last 12 games and are beginning to lose ground in the NL East race.
There’s no timeframe on when Nola could return, and manager Rob Thomson pointed out when the injury occurred is unclear.
“I have no idea,” Thomson told reporters, per Gelb. “Because he doesn’t really remember the moment that it happened. He just woke up one day, and it was sore.”
Philadelphia must make a decision soon on Nola as the deadline will be here sooner rather than later. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski won’t want to potentially lose out on high-leverage relievers and squander a shot at the National League pennant and a World Series trophy.
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