The Philadelphia Phillies are home after a wildly successful West Coast road trip. They went 6-1, sweeping the Colorado Rockies in four games and taking two of three from the Athletics. Their only blemish was dropping the series finale in Sacramento on Sunday — a game they had in hand in the eighth inning.
While there was plenty of news that took place on the road trip, some of it might have slipped through the cracks with all the late games for those of us on the East Coast. You have no doubt heard about Kyle Schwarber's mammoth blast to record his 300th career home run in Denver. Perhaps you missed Johan Rojas' run-in with Coors Field security. And then there was the epic 11-inning win on Saturday.
So, as the Phillies get set to welcome the Atlanta Braves to town tonight to open a three-game series, here's some other news that you might need to get caught up on.
Phillies News: Aaron Nola's ankle injury progressing slower than anticipated
Aaron Nola, who went on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle sprain on May 16, was supposed to make some progress while travelling with the team last week. That didn't happen, unfortunately. As NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman reported over the weekend, Nola's ankle isn't healing as quickly as expected. He was supposed to throw a bullpen on Saturday, but that plan was scrapped.
Any more delays could mean that the veteran right-hander would have to make a trip to Lehigh Valley for a rehab assignment. Something he'd like to avoid.
"I hope so," Nola said on Sunday of avoiding a rehab assignment, per Seidman. "That's the best-case scenario. But I just honestly need to see how it feels off the mound first. Since I'm on the IL, I want to get it right and strong again. I want to be able to run, sprint without even having it be an issue."
Nola had been having a rough go of it before the injury, with a 1-7 record, a 6.16 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP in nine starts. Hopefully, the healing picks up now that he's back in Philadelphia and the Phillies can get him right for the remainder of the season.
Scuffling J.T. Realmuto might be dropped in Phillies' lineup
It's no secret that J.T. Realmuto hasn't looked like himself at the plate this season. The veteran catcher is slashing .232/.303/.381 with five home runs and 19 RBIs. He hit a paltry .172 in six games on the road trip, including hitting into his 10th double play of the season on Sunday.
According to The Athletic's Matt Gelb, manager Rob Thomson is considering flipping Realmuto with Alec Bohm, perhaps … maybe (subscription required).
Something has to give. The right-handed hitting Realmuto has been slotted in fifth against left-handed starters. Bohm, also right-handed, has been on a tear. Since the beginning of May, the third baseman is slashing .341/.382/.537 with four homers and 12 RBIs. He slashed .355/.355/.613 with two homers and six RBIs on the road trip.
We'll see if Thomson makes any changes to the lineup this week.
Phillies' ace Zack Wheeler extends scoreless streak
Zack Wheeler threw 6 2/3 shutout innings on Friday night in the series opener against the A's. If we're being honest, he was likely perturbed that he couldn't get through the seventh. That's just how he's wired.
Per MLB.com's Theo DeRosa, the 34-year-old extended his scoreless streak to 22 2/3 innings, his longest such stretch as a Phillie and the second longest of his career. The last time Wheeler let the opponent score was in the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 6.
Wheeler now owns a 6-1 record with a 2.42 ERA and a stingy 0.88 WHIP. His 88 strikeouts in 70 2/3 innings are the second-most in the National League, trailing Washington's MacKenzie Gore by five.
The staff ace will face a slightly stiffer test in his next start, scheduled for Wednesday, when he lines up against the Braves who just got former NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. back from the IL. Atlanta managed five runs against Wheeler on April 8, although it wasn't entirely on him.