The wait is over for Philadelphia Phillies fans. The organization's top pitching prospect will make his MLB debut next week against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Aaron Nola will get the call from the Phillies on Tuesday, July 21, according to the team's Twitter account.
He will be the first player drafted by #Phils to make his ML debut the very next season since Pat Combs (drafted June '88, debut Sept '89).
— Phillies (@Phillies) July 17, 2015
Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly alluded to Nola's potential promotion last weekend.
"The Phillies definitely want to look at Nola in the majors before the season is out. Amaro has said as much. The guess here is that the 22-year-old right-hander will be promoted sometime in the next couple of weeks, possibly in tandem with a trade-deadline move."
Despite getting rocked in his last start on Thursday night with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, it appears as if the Phillies have seen enough of the right-hander and feel confident he can handle the MLB. The 22-year-old is 10-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 18 starts between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season.
Nola suffered his first loss at Triple-A this season during last night's outing and it was also the first time he surrendered more than three earned runs at that level of play. In fact, the last time he gave up more than three earned runs this season was during his 2015 debut with Reading back on April 11. Prior to last night's game he was 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in five starts with Lehigh Valley.
The 2014 seventh overall pick has tossed 12 quality starts this year and surrendered two runs or fewer in 12 starts as well.
Nola was selected to appear in the Futures Game last weekend, but he was unable to play because he pitched for Lehigh Valley that Friday. He's perhaps the biggiest piece of the future Phillies' rotation, along with Double-A starters Ben Lively and Zach Eflin.
The MLB will witness yet another prospect promotion next week in a season that has been deemed "the year of the call up."
