Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler has received an injury update heading into 2026.
This past season, the Philadelphia Phillies boasted one of the best starting rotations in baseball until Zack Wheeler went down with thoracic outlet syndrome in August. In other words, he had a blood clot, and he underwent surgery to have it removed.
So, when will Wheeler re-take the mound?
Phillies president Dave Dombrowski has remained firm in sticking to the timeline of six to eight months, which means that he could miss the start of the 2026 campaign.
In fact, Cole Weintraub of NBC Sports Philadelphia is expecting it.
"That makes an Opening Day return unlikely. But Wheeler will be deep into his throwing progression throughout Spring Training," Weintraub wrote.
As for what Philadelphia is actually anticipating from Wheeler? That's another story.
"It’s difficult to attach firm expectations to a pitcher turning 36 on May 30, especially coming off major surgery," Weintraub added. "But if there has been one constant during his tenure in Philadelphia, it’s that Zack Wheeler has earned the benefit of the doubt."
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler. Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.It's worth noting that Matt Harvey, Josh Beckett and Stephen Strasburg all underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, and none of them were the same afterward. In fact, it ended Strasburg's career.
The good news, though, is that the severity of Wheeler's issue is more in line with that of Merrill Kelly, who had surgery for it after 2020 and returned the following season with no setbacks. He has remained a terrific pitcher ever since.
Wheeler went 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA while allowing 107 hits and racking up 195 strikeouts over 149.2 innings of work in 2025, earning his third All-Star appearance.
Since joining the Phillies back in 2020, the right-hander has posted sub-3.00 ERAs in five of his six seasons, with his highwater mark being 3.61 in 2023. Overall, he has recorded a 2.91 ERA across 157 starts in Philadelphia while also averaging 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
Funny enough, Wheeler's first six big-league campaigns with the New York Mets were riddled with injury problems, but up until this past season, he had been mostly healthy in Philly.
Hopefully, the former first-round pick can return with a clean bill of health in 2026.