Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler was shelled in his most recent rehab start.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler is still making his way back from thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition that surfaced last August and resulted in Wheeler undergoing surgery.
Wheeler has slowly but surely been making his way back ever since, and he appears to be inching closer and closer toward a return.
Things hit a bit of a speed bump on Friday, though, as Wheeler allowed five runs in his second rehab start for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Could Wheeler's rocky outing push back his return date?
Paul Casella of MLB.com provided some information on the subject.
"Wheeler is expected to make another rehab start for Lehigh Valley next week, though the exact date has not been announced. It's possible he could rejoin the Phillies following that outing, or he could make another rehab appearance," Casella wrote. "Regardless, barring any setbacks, the veteran right-hander remains on track to rejoin Philadelphia's rotation at some point in April."
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler. Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.Essentially, it doesn't appear that Wheeler's most recent minor-league start has alarmed the Phillies to the point where they will extend his rehab.
Wheeler made 24 starts for Philadelphia in 2025, going 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA while allowing 107 hits and racking up 195 strikeouts over 149.2 innings of work. He made his third All-Star appearance as a result.
The 35-year-old signed with the Phillies in December 2019 after spending the first seven years of his big-league career with the New York Mets, where he posted a 3.77 ERA and struggled to stay healthy.
Things definitely took a turn for the better since Wheeler's arrival in Philadelphia, as the right-hander has made over 30 starts three times and boasts a 2.91 ERA.
Wheeler has established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball throughout his time in Philly, so there is no doubt that his return to the Phillies' rotation will shake up the NL East race.
That is, of course, assuming that Wheeler is 100 percent healthy and is ready to resume his role as Philadelphia's staff ace.
Meanwhile, the Phillies are 4-3 on the young season and have won three games in a row heading into their Saturday night matchup against the Colorado Rockies.
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