CINCINNATI -- Aaron Nola checked the final box in his rehab process on Tuesday night when he struck out 11 batters over 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Nola has said he felt good physically after each of his two previous rehab appearances, and manager Rob Thomson confirmed before Friday's game that Nola's next start will come with the Phillies in Sunday's series finale against the Nationals.
The Phils will likely operate with a six-man rotation for the time being. They're in the midst of playing 13 games in 13 days -- and 39 games in 41 days from Aug. 8-Sept. 17.
Pivoting to a six-man rotation is made possible not just by the return of Nola, but also the recent success of Walker. The veteran right-hander has a 3.39 ERA this season, including a 2.93 ERA over six starts during his most recent rotation stint -- his third of the season.
"I think it could benefit everybody, to tell you the truth," Thomson said on Monday about the possibility of using a six-man rotation when Nola comes back. "We've been riding these guys pretty hard all year."