Aaron Nola Among 4 Phillies Players Placed on COVID-Related IL

Mike Carlson/Associated Press

Pitcher Aaron Nola was one of four Philadelphia Phillies placed on the COVID-related IL Sunday:

Nola was scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox, the final game before the All-Star break.

The pitcher had been up-and-down in the first half of the year, producing a 4.53 ERA in 18 starts that would rank as the second-worst of his career. Despite his struggles, an extended stretch of missed time would be damaging for the Phillies as they try to compete in the NL East.

Nola has been one of the top pitchers in baseball at his best. He truly broke out in 2018, finishing third in NL Cy Young voting. He posted a 17-6 record with a 2.37 ERA and 224 strikeouts in 212.1 innings. He put together another solid performance in 2019, though not up to the standard he set the previous year. 

In 34 starts, Nola finished with a 3.87 ERA and 229 strikeouts in 202.1 innings. Last season saw him get back to peak form with a 3.28 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 71.1 innings. 

The Phillies don't have great pitching depth, with Zack Wheeler the only other top-of-the-rotation starter on the roster. 

The bullpen also took a hit with the latest news losing right-hander Connor Brogdon and left-hander Bailey Falter. Third baseman Alec Bohm has just a .243 batting average to begin 2021, but he appeared in 85 of the team's first 87 games and finished second in voting for Rookie of the Year last season.

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Philadelphia begins its second half of the season with a doubleheader against the Miami Marlins on Friday.