Since his return from the injured list, Aaron Nola has struggled on the mound, as his ERA continues to climb and the jeers from Philadelphia Phillies fans increase in volume. These struggles accumulated to his fourth straight outing with a 6.00+ game ERA, as Nola was shelled by the Milwaukee Brewers' offense in a 6-3 loss for the Fightins on September 3.

Game 2 of the Phillies' series against the Brewers was a wash almost from the start, as Nola allowed five earned runs in the first inning without recording an out. Milwaukee right fielder Sal Frelick started the scoring with an RBI single, which opened up a 2-0 lead for the Brewers after an error from Phillies center fielder Harrison Bader allowed a second runner to cross the plate. 

Nola's 2025 starts seemed to have a pattern, as he repeatedly let up at least one solo home run each game. Milwaukee left fielder Isaac Collins broke that pattern, as he followed Frelick's scoring effort with a three-run shot to right field, breaking the game open for the Brewers with no outs in the bottom of the first inning.

The earned run struggles are nothing new for Nola, as he'd allowed 12 earned runs through his three starts prior to his appearance against Milwaukee, highlighted by yet another six-earned-run outing against the Washington Nationals on August 17.

In his four games since returning from a long stint on the injured list, Nola's ERA is a whopping 8.38, featuring 16 earned runs allowed off of eight extra-base hits, four of which were home runs.

With the loss of Zack Wheeler to the injured list, Phillies fans hoped Nola's return would breathe some life into the rotation, but they've been delivered the exact opposite. His recent performances put into question how viable his spot in the playoff rotation is, which is more than alarming to the Philadelphia faithful, as the team's fifth starter, Jesus Luzardo, has seen his own share of struggles in the second half of the season.

With only a handful of starting opportunities remaining for the veteran right-hander, Nola's performance needs to see a major rebound in order for him to regain the trust of both Phillies fans and the Philadelphia front office, as there are only a few more weeks left in the regular season before Red October rears its head.