Washington, DC – He left the mound after five innings, directly looking at the canoe while the faithful of the DC phillies applauded it. Zack Wheeler was crazy, said manager Rob Thomson on Friday after leaving 97 locations.
He was typical of Wheeler, and pitching was typical of what Wheeler had shown recently. His command, sometimes, was uneven. His speed was checked for the first time in a few departures. He removed six.
Wheeler, who reported a rigidity on the right shoulder last week, felt normal while he was preparing for the start. But he noticed new symptoms after launching five rounds, said athletic coach Paul Buchheit, including heaviness.
He was evaluated on Saturday morning and a blood clot was found near his right shoulder. The Phillies placed Wheeler on the list of wounded 15 days after the match on Saturday.
Additional tests and evaluation will be carried out in Philadelphia at the beginning of next week, revealing a more specific prognosis and calendar. Buchheit said he didn’t think that last week’s shoulder stiffness is linked to the blood clot.
Kyle Schwarber said the team felt that something was wrong when Wheeler had not pointed out on Saturday.
“Baseball is baseball,” said Schwarber. “Regarding someone’s health like that, we need him in good health. He has a family, so we want to make him feel good for them and bring him back whenever we can. ”
Thomson said he was thinking of Wheeler and his family because of the more serious nature of the injury.
It is an injury serious enough to doubt its availability for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs, even without detailed prognosis. Each week, Wheeler missing would require another week of recovery time.
The strong rotation of the Phillies, among the best in MLB, was its call card. Wheeler, 35, is his ace. He has a 10-5 file with an MPM of 2.71 and 195 stick withdrawals in 149 2/3 innings. He was part of the star team for the third time this season and finished second in the National League Cy Young Award in 2024.
Beyond Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez, there have been recent concerns. Jesús Luzardo launched a season of roller coaster. Ranger Suárez has an MPM of 6.59 in five outings from the stars break. Aaron Nola, who had trouble at the beginning of 2025, is a question mark on his return from injury. Taijuan Walker, although stable in recent outings, would probably not be a starter in the playoffs.
The phillies planned to switch to a rotation of six people by restoring Aaron Nola on Sunday. Now they are back at five years.
Thomson said he felt in the depth of the club, adding that the best prospect Andrew Painter or someone else could be an option if the phillies needed a sixth starter.
Painter, who launches for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, granted three points (two deserved) in the first and dealt with command problems while returning from Tommy John.
“We just have to continue,” said Thomson. “People have to intensify.”
Phillies have no choice but to do it at the start of the section. And they will do it with Wheeler in mind.
“We pray for him and try to stay in touch with him,” said Taijuan Walker. “But I know he knows that we are all here for him and we love him. It’s really scary.”
(Photo: Mitchell Layton / Getty Images)
