Wheels off Phillies | Sports Daily Newsletter

Phillies ace Zack Wheeler didn’t suffer an injury to his elbow, shoulder or hamstring. He was diagnosed with a blood clot near his right shoulder. As Kyle Schwarber put it, “That’s scary stuff.”

When he returns is anyone’s guess at this point with tests planned for today. So what do the Phillies do now? They were already employing a temporary six-man rotation, which they can do because of their starting depth. And with Wheeler out, they welcomed back Aaron Nola on Sunday, although that didn’t go too well.

But they do have options, including their top pitching prospect, right-hander Andrew Painter, who rebounded from two straight shaky outings to deliver a decent one on Saturday. Scott Lauber breaks down where the Phillies stand as they face the possibility of a World Series run without their ace.

— John Roberts, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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At 11:15 a.m. Sunday, Aaron Nola stepped out of the dugout and into the sunlight. And as he walked to the bullpen, a section of early-bird Phillies fans cheered.

They hadn’t seen him in a while.

But there wasn’t much time to get reacquainted. Despite being staked to a six-run lead in his first start in 95 days, Nola gave it all away in a seven-batter span of the third inning before getting replaced.

Welcome back. Now, get KO’d in your shortest non-rain-abbreviated start in four years.

Otto Kemp’s long odyssey to the majors is detouring back to triple A.

Next: The Phillies return home for a series against Seattle at 6:45 tonight (NBCSP). Ranger Suárez (8-6, 3.28) will start for the Phillies. The Mariners have not announced a starter.

The Eagles’ 22-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Saturday appeared to aid some bubble players in their quests to land spots. Others still have more to prove before solidifying their places. Regardless, the game was a reminder that a number of roles still aren’t settled heading into the final preseason game against the New York Jets on Friday. Let’s attempt to project the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster.

Just nine days before roster cut down day, the Eagles added a receiver in a trade with the Texans. How will he fit with the Eagles?

Next: The Eagles return to practice at the NovaCare Complex today for the final three practices of training camp. They play the Jets on Friday in their preseason finale.

Five years into his NFL career, Eagles cheerleader James LeGette won’t be alone in the men’s locker room.

Being the lone man on a dance team is a familiar experience for the small group of male NFL cheerleaders across the league. But in 2025, the Eagles cheer team will include three male cheerleaders, their largest contingent ever, with rookies Alex Fan and Dalton Walsh joining the squad.

Together, they are proud to do what they love, representing a team they love.

Rookie impact: Drew Mukuba’s first pick-six lifted him back into the Eagles’ safety competition.

Controversy at Conestoga High: The school quietly suspended a nationally recognized soccer coach who was betting on basketball games with students.

A ‘pretty cool’ debut: Eagles rookie QB Kyle McCord celebrated throwing his first TD pass for his childhood team.

A humbling experience: Not only did the Union suffer a 1-0 loss to the rival Red Bulls, but they might have lost keeper Andre Blake to another injury.

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from William Bender, Gabriella Carroll, Scott Lauber, Jeff McLane, Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, and Jonathan Tannenwald.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading and we’ll see you again on Tuesday. — Vaughn