Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola is having a rough start to the season, shattering the club record for career wins while his previous season was marred by injuries. The team's rotation has been inconsistent with Nola's struggles, but he still holds the franchise record for innings pitched.
May 20, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola throws a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images start as a Phillie on Wednesday afternoon, moving him into sole possession of fourth place on the team’s all-time list. Nola will continue to climb the ladder in the coming weeks as he’s just six behind Chris Short for third place. With four-plus seasons remaining on his contract, Nola will at least close the gap on franchise leaders Robin Roberts and Steve Carlton .
Nola had the worst season of his career last year – 6.01 ERA in 17 starts -- and this one is shaping up to be a struggle, as well. birthday, Nola was tagged for four runs over five innings in his latest start as the Phillies lost the finale of a three-game series to the Cincinnati Reds, 9-4, at Citizens Bank Park. Three of the eight hits that Nola gave up were for extra bases.
Ten starts into the season, he has a 6.04 ERA. He has given up 10 runs over 8 2/3 innings in his last two. Monday’s defeat marked the first time the Phillies have lost a series since Don Mattingly took over as manager when the team was 9-19 on April 29. While the bulk of the rotation has improved its performance in recent weeks, fueling the team’s rebound, Nola has continued to raise concerns.
He’s had just one quality start in his last seven outings. That came May 4 when he pitched six shutout innings in a 1-0 win at Miami. In his other six starts over that span, he has an ERA of 7.52. Nola spent three months on the injured list last season with rib and ankle injuries.
Otherwise, he’s been a year-to-year workhorse for the franchise. From the start of 2017 through 2024, he pitched 1,432 2/3 innings, the most in the majors. It’s fair to wonder if that workload has taken a toll on the right-hander, who is signed through 2030 as part of a seven-year, $172 million contract extension signed in November 2023. Nola opened Monday’s game with three quick outs, two coming on strikeouts.
He took a 1-0 lead into the second inning and allowed three straight hits, two doubles and a single, as the Reds rallied for three runs and never trailed again. Nola gave up two-run scoring hits in the inning on curveballs. His fastball sat at 92 mph for the day.
Meanwhile, the Phillies’ offense, which often struggles against left-handers, had a tough time with Reds lefty Andrew Abbott, who gave up just two runs in 5 1/3 innings.
Phillies Aaron Nola Career Wins Injuries Consistency Record Innings Pitched Rotation
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