Sep 20, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) looks on against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
PHILADELPHIA — Facing elimination, the Phillies will turn to Aaron Nola — not Ranger Suárez — as their Game 3 starter, Rob Thomson revealed after Monday's 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
While not a shocking decision considering how things seemed to be trending in recent days, it's a perplexing one from the sense that Suárez posted a 3.20 ERA over 157 1/3 regular-season innings, as opposed to 6.01 from Nola across 94 1/3 frames.
Despite that, it will be Nola getting the start, with "Ranger behind him."
"Nola has never pitched out of the 'pen," Thomson said of why the Phillies are doing it this way.
"How long he [Nola] goes, I don't know. And I trust him."
Rob Thomson says Aaron Nola will start Game 3 in Los Angeles, with Ranger Suárez behind him.
“Nola’s never pitched out of the pen… and I trust him.”
(via @GraceDelPizzo) pic.twitter.com/EhF29ShOmp
Nola is one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history. His postseason resume — which includes a 4.02 ERA over 53 2/3 innings — is a mixed bag. But he has had some great moments, particularly in the early rounds of the playoffs.
That doesn't change the fact that he struggled mightily when he was on the mound in 2025. To Nola's credit, he did limit the Minnesota Twins to just one run over eight innings on Sept. 26, his final start of the regular season. He also performed well in the intrasquad game on Oct. 1, allowing just two hits over three shutout innings.
But while it appeared that Nola would be the fourth starter if the Phillies got to a seven-game series later this postseason, there was every reason to think coming into the best-of-five NLDS that Thomson would only need to use Cristopher Sánchez, Suárez and Luzardo — the three best pitchers this season that are currently healthy — as starters against the Dodgers.
With things not playing out that way — and Suárez not being used out of the bullpen in either of the first two games — you are left to wonder whether there's an injury to the lefty. Thomson, though, insisted after the game that there isn't anything wrong from a health perspective from Suárez.
Perhaps the Phillies are just trying to downplay some sort of ailment involving Suárez. He did get hit by a line drive in the groin area in his final regular-season start on Sept. 27, ultimately departing early but joking after the outing that it got "all muscle."
Suárez did not pitch in the instrasquad game, with Thomson acknowledging last week that he likely would have if not for getting hit in his final start. There was no indication, though, that Suárez wasn't continuing to prepare to be a starter in the postseason.
If the plan for the Phillies all along was to utilize Suárez out of the bullpen and have Nola start Game 3, that makes it more perplexing that in two losses where the relief corps has had struggles that Suárez didn't appear. Granted, Thomson said before Game 1 that Suárez would likely only be used out of the bullpen either before the sixth inning or in extras. How he and the Phillies arrived at that strategy is unclear.
What is clear is that the Phillies are now one loss away from their second consecutive first-round postseason exit. It won't exactly be a shocking development if Nola struggles Wednesday and the Phillies are in a hole by the time they hand the ball over to the bullpen — be it Suárez or someone else — based on how the 2025 season has gone.
If it later comes out that Suárez wasn't healthy, then there will at least be an explanation for the bizarre handling of one of the team's best pitchers. But if Suárez is healthy and Thomson has just decided on this strategy, there will be serious questions about whether he's the best person to lead the team moving forward should a Nola dud lead to the Phillies getting swept on Wednesday.
