Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola on the mend
The righthander, who was on the DL with a lower back strain, is expected to throw a bullpen session this weekend.
Phillies righthander Aaron Nola got good news after having an MRI on Thursday. Nola was placed on the 10-day disabled list April 24 (retroactive to April 21) with a lower back strain.
"It really revealed nothing concerning at all, which is what we hoped," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said before Friday's game at Citizens Bank Park against the Washington Nationals.
Klentak says that Nola is scheduled to throw a bullpen session this weekend.
"If that goes well, which we hope it will, that would set him up for a likely rehab assignment at this point," Klentak said. "He has been down long enough and is likely to go on a rehab assignment before coming back to the major-league club."
Nola is 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA in three starts. He last pitched in a 6-4 win on April 20 against the New York Mets.
Kendrick update
There is still no date when infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick will return from his oblique injury. Kendrick was placed on the disabled list on April 18 (retroactive to April 16).
"With injuries like this you can't put a date on it," Kendrick said. "It's the same as a hamstring, one day you can feel great and the next day you feel lousy. It's just about getting consistent."
Klentak says that Kendrick would go on a rehab assignment before returning.
"The best-case scenario is that we would see him on a rehab assignment middle to late next week and it could be as late as next weekend," Klentak said.
Thompson returns
With a bullpen that has been taxed, especially by Thursday's 5-4 loss in 13 innings at Chicago, the Phillies recalled righthander Jake Thompson from triple-A Lehigh Valley and optioned infielder/outfielder Ty Kelly to the IronPigs.
Last year, Thompson made his major-league debut with the Phillies on Aug. 6 and became the 2,000th player to ever appear in a game for the team.
He went 3-6 with a 5.70 ERA in 10 starts last season for the Phillies.
This year in five starts with the IronPigs, Thompson had a 6.65 ERA, but his ERA in his last three starts was 1.00.
Thompson, 23, will be used in relief. He has been a starter for 107 of 109 career games in the majors and minors.
"Obviously I will do anything to get up here," Thompson said.
Despite taking his lumps, Thompson says he should benefit from last year's time with the Phillies.
"I threw against some of the best teams in the National League last year, I saw some of the best hitters," Thompson said. "I didn't have a lot of success, but I feel more comfortable now to do the job."
Minor-league awards
Lehigh Valley first baseman Rhys Hoskins, Lakewood lefthander Ranger Suarez and Reading second baseman Scott Kingery have been named the Phillies minor-league hitter, pitcher and defender of the month for April.
Hoskins hit .338 with six home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.239 OPS in April. Suarez was 1-0 with a 0.81 ERA in four April starts. Kingery entered the weekend with zero errors this season.
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