Struggles of Veteran Starter Remain Major Concern for Phillies

Should the Philadelphia Phillies be concerned about the extended struggles of a starter?

May 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly (8) on the field before game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Coming into Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies were hoping to win yet another series and make it seven straight series victories. Unfortunately, a bad start from their pitcher derailed those hopes. 

With a chance to take the rubber game on Wednesday afternoon against the Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies suffered a poor 9-4 loss. For a team that worked hard to get back over the .500 mark, it was a disappointing series against the Reds, and the team has moved back to .500. While the team losing a series following the firing of Rob Thomson was bound to happen, dropping a set at home is never ideal. 

Not having their star Kyle Schwarber in the starting lineup for all three games certainly had an impact on the team, but it wasn’t the only reason they lost the series. On Wednesday, it was veteran Aaron Nola taking the hill for the Phillies. The starter has had a tough season so far with some poor performances. Unfortunately, this start will be going down as another one of them. 

Struggles of Nola Are a Concern

Aaron Nola | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Coming off a couple of bad outings in a row, the Phillies were undoubtedly hoping to see some better things from their veteran right-hander with a chance to win the series on Wednesday afternoon. 

Unfortunately, Nola once again did not pitch well in the loss. Against Cincinnati, he allowed four runs in five innings of work. With another poor outing, his ERA has now moved up to 6.04, and there is reason to be concerned. In the last three outings for the right-hander, he has allowed at least three runs in each of them. 

Furthermore, Nola has only allowed three runs or fewer in a start twice so far this year, highlighting his struggles. The Phillies are heavily invested in the right-hander with a long-term contract, and the struggles dating back to last year now for the 32-year-old have to be concerning. 

While the rotation is still really strong even with Nola struggling, the team likely is frustrated by the performances. The veteran was once seen as the second-best pitcher on the team behind Wheeler, but those days are seemingly long gone. 

With a lot of the campaign still to go, the hope will certainly be that Nola can turn things around. Due to his massive contract, Philadelphia has their hands tied a bit and they need him to start performing better.