The Philadelphia Phillies didn’t expect Zack Wheeler to be ready for Opening Weekend, and he wasn't, at least at the big league level, but everything about his latest outing suggests his return isn’t far away.
Wheeler took a significant step forward Saturday, making his first rehab start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The results were exactly what the Phillies wanted as he works back from a life-altering injury..
“Zack Wheeler was never expected to be fully ready to pitch in the Phillies' season-opening series this weekend at Citizens Bank Park. But if his outing with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday afternoon is any indication, Wheeler's 2026 debut may not be too far off," Paul Casella wrote.
There's a lot to look at when a player is on a rehab assignment, and more importantly for Wheeler right now, a lot of this is simply about just feeling OK health-wise. That can even be as far as saying how he feels when he isn't even on the mound.
Wheeler was initially expected to need six to eight months before returning to game action, which put his availability somewhere in the early portion of the 2026 season, but not necessarily right out of the gate.
Per Casella, Wheeler will make a start on Friday, and the Phillies are encouraged about how he looked.
"Wheeler's next start will come on Friday for the IronPigs in Durham. He's then expected to make a third rehab start for Double-A Reading the following week. It's unclear where his next outing will come at that point, but he remains on track for an April return.
"Based on everything they've seen so far, the Phillies are confident that Wheeler will not only be ready in a few weeks, but that he'll be his usual ace-caliber self."
"I’m very confident," manager Rob Thomson said last week. "His command has been normal. The velocity is normal for this time of Spring Training for him. I don’t have any reason to not be confident."