DUNEDIN, Fla. — It had been 217 days since Aaron Nola stepped on the mound in a game, so 21 minutes of early March baseball will not alone assuage fears about the pitcher's right elbow. The Phillies will find comfort in this: After 30 pitches in two innings against Toronto, Nola's arm remained attached Thursday.
There are many tests to come. The first provided Nola some relief.
"It felt all of seven months," Nola said. "I didn't really know how long it was until I counted. It felt like forever."
Nola is the most important player in an uneventful Phillies camp; that much was guaranteed last summer when Nola was diagnosed with ligament sprains and tendon strains and the Phillies opted for a conservative treatment.