Handle Wheeler with care | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Phillies have the playoffs in their sights, and their ace is showing signs of returning from the injured list. Still, it’s time to break out the kid gloves with Zack Wheeler.

He will miss his fifth straight start Sunday with what the Phillies initially called forearm tendinitis but updated to elbow inflammation. (It’s worth noting that Wheeler had Tommy John surgery in 2015.)

But Wheeler is on tap to throw about 50 pitches to hitters on Friday, and if all goes well, he could return to the Phillies’ rotation next week.

Pump the brakes. It’s time for an abundance of caution with the prized pitcher, David Murphy writes: “Obsessive monitoring. Let him squeeze his own toothpaste, but get someone else to do the brushing. That’s how important this guy is.”

The Phillies need to clinch a playoff berth as soon as possible to maximize their chances of surviving the wild-card round, Murphy writes. But they also must take every precaution possible to ensure that Wheeler and Seranthony Domínguez (also fresh off the injured list) enter October at full strength.

— Jim Swan, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

It was 81 nights since his last appearance on the mound, and there was Zach Eflin, warming up. But this time it was as a reliever, entering in the eighth inning against the Marlins on Wednesday. The guy with 115 career starts looked good and felt “better than I ever have.” And now, team officials are talking with straight faces about the possibility that the 28-year-old right-hander could be their pitching X factor in the season’s final 20 games and beyond.

Rhys Hoskins is relieved his right hand is just bruised after getting hit by a pitch and he hopes to play this weekend.

The Phillies might be looking past their current opposition to the playoffs, and that was a mistake with Miami.

Next: The Phillies open a three-game series in Atlanta on Friday at 7:20 p.m. (NBCSP). Ranger Suárez (9-5, 3.62 ERA) will start against Braves left-hander Max Fried (13-6, 2.50).

The Eagles will look to contain All-Pro Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson if they’re going to win on Monday in the home opener. Yes, the same Justin Jefferson they could have drafted, but we won’t dwell on that. Rather, he is Jonathan Gannon’s concern, and the defensive coordinator feels like his group is up for the challenge.

Do our beat writers feel the same way? While the defense has work to do, things could still line up in the Eagles’ favor.

Next: The Eagles host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football at 8:30 p.m. (6ABC).

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s Week 2 game against the Minnesota Vikings. Watch Monday at 7 p.m. at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday.

From 1996-2004, Chris “Cat” Felix served as the head athletic trainer for the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms.

The popular trainer died in 2017, but his legacy with the Phantoms lives on through his son, Colin, a rookie defenseman with the team. Olivia Reiner recently talked with Colin and his mother, Kim, about their memories of Chris and all the time they spent around the rink together.

Felix was one of 26 players on the ice Thursday for the first day of Flyers rookie camp. Giana Han has her biggest takeaways from Day 1 in Voorhees.

The Flyers broke ground on an outdoor hockey rink in Kensington.

A jersey that looks great isn’t going to score or assist in a World Cup match, but yes, it does provide a psychological lift to fervent supporters and likely even players. That’s partly why The Inquirer’s Kerith Gabriel is so disappointed in the uniforms that have just been released by Nike, the sponsor of the men’s and women’s U.S. Soccer teams.

Meanwhile, the current Union player who is likely make history as the club’s first active player to participate in a World Cup finals tournament will be wearing a different jersey — Cameroon’s.

Speaking of the Union, our own Jonathan Tannenwald gives his prediction for their upcoming game against Atlanta.

Soccer milestones get an even more local hit with Kensington’s own joining the U.S. Open Cup competition for the first time. The oldest soccer tournament in the U.S. has a number of area teams participating.

Finally, soccer still will be helping the Ukrainian cause, but with a party instead of a game.

Next: The Union play in Georgia against Atlanta United on Saturday (3:50 p.m., UniMás, TUDN, twitter.com/MLS).

Peter Clarke joined the NFL Academy at age 16, starting him on a path from London to Temple. The tight end has committed to the Owls and plans to join them in January and take part in winter sessions.

Penn’s football team took its lumps in a 3-7 season in 2021. Now the experienced Quakers are upbeat entering their 2022 opener against Colgate.

Penn State is off to a 2-0 start, and coach James Franklin has utilized plenty of players as he seeks to build depth. “We want to make sure we have depth throughout our entire program at every position,” Franklin says.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, David Murphy, Jonathan Tannenwald, EJ Smith, Josh Tolentino, Jeff McLane, Giana Han, Olivia Reiner, Isabella DiAmore, Sam Cohn, Melanie Heller, and Kerith Gabriel.