Aaron Nola is making progress in 2 recovery efforts

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WASHINGTON — An elbow injury pushed Aaron Nola to the background nearly six weeks ago, but he remains very much on the minds of Phillies officials.
 
Fingers are crossed that Nola will respond positively to rest, rehab and a platelet-rich-plasma injection and be ready to go by spring training. The alternative – surgery that would keep him out of action next season – is not good.
 
Monday will mark one month since the pitcher received the PRP injection from orthopedist James Andrews. The 23-year-old right-hander has been traveling with the ballclub as he rehabs from the injury that he suffered while pitching in Atlanta on July 28.
 
Nola reported progress on Friday.
 
“It’s feeling good,” he said, sitting in front of his locker in the visiting clubhouse at Nationals Park. “It’s gotten better every day. There’s still a little soreness from the shot, but no pain. I’m doing my upper-body workouts. My range of motion is back. I feel like the inflammation is out. It feels good. When it happened, I felt pain. I don’t feel that now. It feels normal.”
 
Of course, the ultimate test of Nola’s condition won’t come until he starts throwing again. At the time of the PRP injection, he was told not to throw for four to six weeks. Nola said he will meet with team medical officials for an evaluation on Monday. He could then have a better idea of when he might start throwing.
 
Nola was diagnosed with a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament and a strain of the flexor tendon. Serious injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament require Tommy John surgery and a year of rehab.
 
Phillies officials hope Nola can work his way up to facing some hitters in Florida in the month of October. That will give everybody a better idea on whether the injury has healed or whether it needs further attention.
 
Nola, the Phillies’ first-round draft pick out of Louisiana State in 2014, is confident that he’s on the right track.
 
“If everything keeps going like this, I’ll be ready for spring training,” he said.
 
In addition to rehabbing his elbow, Nola has joined with eight other former LSU baseball players – all major leaguers – to help raise money to assist flood victims back home near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The area was battered by flooding last month. Nola said a cousin of his “lost everything.”
 
“A bunch of the LSU guys reached out to each other because we wanted to help,” Nola said of the effort.
 
The group of players includes Anthony Renaudo (White Sox), Luis Coleman (Dodgers), Will Harris (Astros), Alex Bregman (Astros), Ryan Schimpf (Padres), D.J. LeMahieu (Rockies), Kevin Gausman (Orioles) and Mikie Mahtook (Rays).
 
The effort, called “Pitch in with former Tigers” has set $250,000 as its goal.
 
Nola reached into his locker, pulled out his phone and went to the Website.
 
“We’re over $18,000,” he said with a smile.

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