Aaron Nola Placed On IL, Mick Abel Will Make His Debut

The 2025 season has been a disaster for Aaron Nola. A 6.16 ERA, and a league-leading 7 losses to go with a 1.51 WHIP. It is perhaps the worst Aaron Nola has ever looked.

His last start was the worst one yet. 9 runs allowed over 3.2 innings. That included 3 Home Runs. All after his lineup handed him a 5-1 lead. That blow-up start was enough for the Phillies. They placed him on the IL with a right ankle sprain.

They will call up Mick Abel to take Nola's place on Sunday, and after that, Taijuan Walker will move back into the rotation until Nola is ready to come off the IL. Todd Zolecki broke the news first.

Is this a real injury, or the classic baseball phantom IL Stint? Hard to tell. But at least for now, Nola is being put on the shelf. Perhaps some time off, injury or no injury, is what is best for him. You look at his career, and the guy has had almost no time off.

Nola, though his performances can be inconsistent, has been as reliable as it gets to go out there and take the mound every 5th start. Nola has made at least 30 starts in every season since 2018. The COVID-shortened season is the lone exception. He has the most innings pitched in the league since 2016. Not to mention some deep playoff runs.

His velocity has dipped, his pitches have less movement, and now even his control has started to go. It could be the wear and tear finally catching up to him, or it could be that he just needs a break. The Phillies better hope it is option 2. He is only in year 2 of a 7-year $172 million deal. They owe him a lot of money over the next 6 years. If this is who he is now, they are in trouble.

But it does mean good things for Mick Abel. Once a top Phillies prospect. Abel fell out of their good graces the past few years. He never quite put his great stuff together to have a productive season. But 2025 has been his coming-out party.

Abel's ERA sits at 2.53 this season after 8 starts and 46.1 innings pitched. By far the best he has ever looked in the minor leagues. He will get the chance to prove his stuff works in the minor leagues. For now, it is a one-time start, before Walker takes his place. But if he goes out there and dominates vs the Pirates, he could always change their mind.

For Nola, he is out of the rotation. We will see how long this ankle injury keeps him on the shelf. As it stood, he was hurting the team. A break is likely what is best for all sides involved.