Aaron Nola took the mound as scheduled on Saturday, May 3, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, despite experiencing a neck issue during his warm-up. He explained that the right side of his neck became stiff and wouldn’t release. Both Nola and the Phillies are optimistic that the issue won’t linger. Notably, Nola hasn’t had a non-COVID-related stint on the injured list since 2017.
“It was a little tight with some movements, but thankfully it wasn’t on the left side, which I need to turn toward the plate,” Nola said. “If it had been, it could’ve been a different story — but everything worked out fine.”
Jose Ruiz was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to May 1) due to a neck spasm, just minutes before the May 3 game against Arizona. The move also cleared a roster spot for Cristopher Suárez. This allows the Phillies to keep Ruiz and fellow reliever Carlos Hernandez in the organization for the time being.
Andrew Painter, recovering from Tommy John surgery, is set to make his next start for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 8 against Worcester. He hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since suffering an elbow injury during spring training in 2023. Phillies president Dave Dombrowski previously indicated that Painter could debut in the majors around July, and the team still sees him as someone who can contribute, even on a limited basis.