Aaron Nola reveals his stress reaction in his rib cage is actually a fracture

By now, Phillies fans are used to waiting on Aaron Nola updates that feel more cryptic than clear. But on Friday, the picture came into focus — and it’s not what anyone wanted to hear.

Speaking to reporters before Friday’s game against the Blue Jays, Nola clarified this isn’t a stress reaction in his ribcage. It’s a fracture.

Aaron Nola reveals his stress reaction in his rib cage is actually a fracture

Aaron Nola discusses the stress fracture in his right ribcage…

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— On Pattison (@OnPattison) June 13, 2025

“They told me it was a stress fracture,” Nola said, contradicting the team’s earlier claim that the MRI had revealed a less severe diagnosis. “It definitely wasn’t the news that I was expecting.”

Injury Update: Aaron Nola rehab delayed for another two weeks with rib injury

A stress reaction is a warning sign. A stress fracture is a crack in the bone that takes real time to heal. As Nola explained it, he started feeling discomfort when he ramped back up from the ankle injury that initially put him on the IL back in May.

While the team speculated last week that the injury may have been caused by coughing while he was sick, Nola told reporters that he felt the rib discomfort before coming down with the flu.

So yeah, there’s been some mixed messaging.

The bigger issue: Nola’s not even throwing for at least two weeks. From there, he’ll need to build up his arm strength all over again — and also ensure that his ankle is fully healthy. By the time he’s realistically back on the mound, it could be August. And that’s if everything goes right.

Before landing on the IL, Nola went 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across nine starts. He couldn’t locate, couldn’t miss bats, and looked like a shell of the guy who helped lead the Phillies to a World Series two years ago.

Now in Year 2 of a 7-year, $172 million contract, Nola is suddenly a very expensive question mark. He was the workhorse — 200+ innings nearly every year since 2018, aside from the COVID season. But you can’t help but wonder if that mileage is starting to catch up.

Now he’ll be shelved for at least a couple more weeks, with no guarantee of when he might start a throwing program again, let alone return to the big-league rotation.

If there’s any hope to hold onto, it’s that maybe Nola returns with a fresh arm and helps the Phillies down the stretch. But between the ankle, the rib, and the vague timelines, this season is starting to feel like a wash for one of the franchise’s cornerstones.

Tthat’s a problem for a team with World Series expectations.

Shoutout Ranger Suarez. He was dealing last night, so that’s good.

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