2021 Phillies Major League Regular Season Discussion

[LoneStarPhan]

If the Phillies are lucky, this will be the extent of the time missed, but it is very likely that this will happen again this season. Nola and all other unvaccinated players could be required to sit out again (and again) if they are deemed to have been in close contact with any future cases this season. With cases on the upswing, all unvaccinated personnel are subject to sudden trips to the IL.

They have put the Phillies at a significant competitive disadvantage.

[zambonir]

This implies that coming in contact with an infected person requires being out longer than being an infected person. Did the Inquirer get this wrong, or is there some crazy inconsistency?

No, Bohm has to be out at least 10 days - Sunday to the following Wednesday. Nola is only out (in theory) Sunday to Sunday. I think it would have been 14 for both of them last year.

Ironically if the Phillies were at 85% and Nola was unvaccinated, he might have been able to come back sooner. In fact I believe he wouldn't have been out at all, since the contact tracing would have ended. This is a big flaw in the system going forward, I think, if the variants and low rates in certain markets continue to persist.

[BostonRoss]

Oops, I saw Sunday to Wednesday without realizing it was next Wednesday. I never know what day of the week it is anymore.

[julio]

I never know what day of the week it is anymore.

Retirement? I know that I find this a challenge, sometimes. Not having the structure of the work week is mostly a huge blessing to me... but occasionally, I find myself asking, "What day is it, anyway?"

This was compounded, in my case, by years of working in New Jersey's budget office, where, for example, the calendar said it was 2016, we were managing fiscal 2017 expenditures, and building a fiscal 2018 budget, all at the same time. What year is it, anyway?

[donaldorc]

Retirement? I know that I find this a challenge, sometimes. Not having the structure of the work week is mostly a huge blessing to me... but occasionally, I find myself asking, "What day is it, anyway?"

Yep! That's me!

[bkox]

Bailey Falter has been activated from the COVID-IL. Hes the only one.

Matt Vierling is 27th man for todays DH

[andyb]

Good news on Falter. He likely is the tandem with VV tomorrow since we'll need innings and we'll want to back up Moore likely with a RHP.

[allentown]

A few thoughts on Aaron Nola
-- His shutdown for Covid isn't the worst thing in the world. His results haven't been good in June and July. With the AS break, this gives him a healthy stretch of downtime to get healthy. Big difference in June-July is double the HR rate, which might be warmer weather partly the cause
-- He seems unlucky this year one ERA, compared to past seasons. On the three true outcomes, this year compares very well with the prior year, but ERA is up because H/9 are up. His only negative is that HR are up about 10%. His BB-rate is the best of his career and his K-rate is the second-best of his career. We know that the Phillies players stink on defense, but Nola has given up only 1 unearned run. Are the scorers tagging him for hits on what should be errors?
--He has a bad home-road split, with his ERA almost two points higher on the road.
--He doesn't start games well

[bkox]

Aaron Nola is on the field throwing. Just a guess, but because he hasn’t pitched in a while now the #Phillies are just working him back. Got to think he starts early next week.

— Todd Zolecki ( @ToddZolecki ) July 16, 2021

I thought COVID IL people couldnt be around the team

[andyb]

Jankowski-Knapp-Maton is our 6-8 in the lineup for game 1. LHP (Detwiler- I can't believe he is still pitching) in game 2 so we'll get Cutch, Williams, JT, and likely Torreyes in the lineup for that game. Maybe even Vierling if they want Williams at 3B. Of course Detwiler is only going to be a 3-inning pitcher since he has been in relief most of the year.

[zambonir]

I'm assuming Nola, like Falter, has actually been cleared (and obviously Falter shows that it doesn't have to be a full week). But the rotation is set.

I'm not retired but the pandemic certainly wreaked havoc on my sense of time and days!

[mdougherty12]

A few thoughts on Aaron Nola
-- His shutdown for Covid isn't the worst thing in the world. His results haven't been good in June and July. With the AS break, this gives him a healthy stretch of downtime to get healthy. Big difference in June-July is double the HR rate, which might be warmer weather partly the cause
-- He seems unlucky this year one ERA, compared to past seasons. On the three true outcomes, this year compares very well with the prior year, but ERA is up because H/9 are up. His only negative is that HR are up about 10%. His BB-rate is the best of his career and his K-rate is the second-best of his career. We know that the Phillies players stink on defense, but Nola has given up only 1 unearned run. Are the scorers tagging him for hits on what should be errors?
--He has a bad home-road split, with his ERA almost two points higher on the road.
--He doesn't start games well

Nola’s ground ball rate is down significantly in 2021 - 40.0 % vs 49.4% for his career. He has often seemed to have trouble commanding his sinker down in the zone consistently this season.

[Philsmania]

Looking at Nola's career line at BR, July and August are historically his strongest months. He usually has a June swoon--June is his worst month, actually--and he struggles in September. This season, however, his struggles started in May. His ERA after his May 4 start was 2.89. It's been on a mostly upward trajectory since. If he is going to turn it around in 2021, very soon will need to be the time.

Aaron Nola Career Pitching Splits | Baseball-Reference.com

[bkox]

Aaron Nola will start Tuesday. He’ll throw a bullpen tomorrow, stayed loose during the break. Phillies are hoping Connor Brogdon, who is also still on COVID-related list, is cleared tomorrow.

— Matt Gelb ( @MattGelb ) July 16, 2021

[bkox]

Maton cut his finger in batting practice. Had to be pulled from the lineup

[zambonir]

You raise a good point though, shouldn't he have to be activated to be cleared for activity, be it today or tomorrow?

[bkox]

Nola said "it sucked" having to be scratched from pitching in Fenway Park last weekend.

He was asked if the experience might prompt him to get vaccinated.

"I don't know," he said. "It's a personal choice. Not right now. I'll keep it at that."

Aaron Nola is not ready to be vaccinated, but he is ready to pitch

[andyb]

I hope reporters keep asking players about this. The players really need to know their selfish decision is hurting the team. Maybe Nola should give the Phillies 3% of his salary back because his vaccine decision cost the team a start (or two).

[allentown]

The players will ask 'how can the owners and GM not support us with a trade deadline acquisition when we've reached .500 -- don't they want to win?" But... by putting the team at a competitive disadvantaged by not getting vaxxed, they show how much they want to reach the playoffs. Yes, it's a personal decision. It was also a personal decision for all the many teams that reached 85% vax rate.

[zambonir]

I sort of hope they don't. I mean yes, the players and the team should be held accountable, but it doesn't seem like anyone's mind is going to change, and if I have to be reminded of it every day I may never enjoy watching some of these players again, and not just this year.

And yeah, agreed A-town, if in fact it is several of the other star players/leaders in addition to Nola who are hold-outs, why should ownership try and get them better teammates or even gamble assets for this season when it's probably going to happen again.