The Philadelphia Phillies have built their recent success around a rotation that’s typically one of the best in baseball, but entering the 2026 season, particularly when it comes to ace Zack Wheeler, there are ways Philadelphia will have to navigate without him.
Wheeler is one of the most important players in the organization, not only for his performance on the mound but for the help he provides to the entire pitching staff. When healthy, he’s consistently been among the best starters in baseball, perhaps even a top-three starter in the game.
That’s why the Phillies are being slow with his return, as he dealt with a major injury. Not only was Wheeler hurt on the field, but this was a very serious injury and one that needs to be taken seriously long-term.
According to MLB.com’s Paul Casella, the organization doesn’t have any intention of moving Wheeler quickly and is OK with him taking as much time as he needs.
“The Phillies, obviously, aren't going to rush Wheeler along this spring.
“All reports this offseason are that his rehab from thoracic outlet decompression surgery is going well, but there's still a long way to go. At the time of his procedure on Sept. 23, the Phillies said the expected timeline for recovery was six to eight months. That would put the window between late March and late May. As of last week, Wheeler was throwing from 90 feet on flat ground,” he wrote.
Casella added that because he hasn’t thrown a lot in the offseason, there could be questions about how things look early on.
“Even if Wheeler gets on a mound soon and is close to ready when Spring Training starts, it's worth noting that he obviously didn't go through his normal offseason throwing program. So, expect the Phillies to bring him along slowly, especially if the other five potential starters -- Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker and Andrew Painter (Phillies' No. 1 prospect) -- are healthy.”
The update offers optimism about Wheeler being healthy, but it ultimately won’t mean a ton for Phillies fans until we see the dominant right-hander back on the bump. While Wheeler’s rehab progress has been encouraging, thoracic outlet syndrome is serious and he needs to be smart here.