Philadelphia Phillies' Zack Wheeler "felt good" after recent bullpen session.
When the Philadelphia Phillies can get Zack Wheeler back in their rotation has been one of the key storylines of spring training so far. The 35-year-old is still rehabbing from his right shoulder surgery, but has seemingly taken massive steps in the recovery, which includes throwing his first bullpen session of 2026 on Thursday.
After the workout, Phillies skipper Rob Thomson broke down what the team saw from Wheeler, and it was nothing but positive.
“It was very good,” said Thomson. “He's been recovering pretty well. A couple of days ago, we identified, possibly today… He came in, he felt good, so he went after it.”
All in all, the Phillies’ skipper said that Wheeler threw 21 pitches, with them mostly being four-seam fastballs and sinkers. In those pitches, the “velo was good,” and the “ball flight was good,” too.
Wheeler still has a long way to go before getting back on the mound and being the pitcher with a 2.71 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP he was before landing on the injury last and having his season shut down early. That said, it feels like Wheeler has checked every box in his recovery so far.
Jul 6, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn ImagesKnowing that Wheeler looked and felt great on the mound is a great sign, but where does the team and the pitcher go from here?
While Wheeler may have looked good on the mound, part of these bullpen rehabs has to do with how the pitcher’s body responds the next day, and that’s exactly the position Philadelphia finds itself in: wait and see how Wheeler feels tomorrow to determine where to go from there.
“He thought it was great. He felt great. We'll check him tomorrow and find out how he's feeling, and, you know, get a plan going, moving forward,” said Thomson.
The Phillies are still wise to slow-play and be cautious with Wheeler’s eventual return. Not only did he have major surgery, but the ace is undoubtedly in the back half of his career. However, it’s hard not get excited about when Wheeler could potentially be back in the Phillies rotation.
Phillies Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Phillies. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.