Phillies ace Zack Wheeler placed on 15-day injured list with ‘upper extremity blood clot’
The Phillies don’t have a timeline for Wheeler’s absence. He will miss at least 15 days, likely more, with further testing scheduled for the next few days.
WASHINGTON — Everything felt normal to Zack Wheeler as he pitched here Friday.
His fastball velocity, down a few ticks in his previous start, rebounded to its typical level. His shoulder, more sore than usual after a start two weeks ago, held up well. And after the Phillies took him out after 97 pitches, Wheeler was predictably ornery, manager Rob Thomson joked.
But late Friday night, something felt wrong.
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Wheeler contacted head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit and reported “a little heaviness” near his shoulder, as Buchheit described it Saturday. The Phillies consulted the Nationals’ doctors and ordered tests.
The diagnosis: an upper extremity blood clot near Wheeler’s right shoulder.
Wheeler returned to Philadelphia for additional testing. And after a 2-0 loss Saturday to the Nationals, the Phillies placed their best pitcher and Cy Young Award candidate on the injured list for at least 15 days, likely more.
A timeline? There isn’t one yet, including whether Wheeler will pitch again this season.
“It’s still early on in the diagnosis,” Buchheit said. “I think we should gather more information before we put a prognosis and treatment plan together.”
Buchheit said there’s “a wide variety of treatments” for this type of blood clot. He didn’t get into specifics, but surgery is one of the more extreme remedies. In college, Phillies infielder Otto Kemp had surgery to fix a blood clot in his shoulder.
“He’s going to be further evaluated back in Philadelphia,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said of Wheeler. “So there will be more information going into the week.”
Thomson said he got word of Wheeler’s condition late Friday night. Kyle Schwarber said he began hearing “some rumblings” Saturday morning. When Wheeler didn’t show up to the field, Schwarber and several others sent him text messages.
“Any time that you hear anything like that, like if it’s a blood clot, that’s scary stuff,” Schwarber said. “Just want to get him back in here and hear from him. Hopefully, it’s not going to be too serious. I don’t know what the prognosis is going to be or what they’re going to have to do. I don’t know if it’s surgery. I don’t think anyone knows right now.”
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Wheeler, 35, has logged more innings (1,356⅔) and thrown more pitches (21,363) than any pitcher in baseball since 2018 — and that doesn’t include three consecutive postseason runs with the Phillies. This marks his second trip to the injured list in the last eight seasons.
Concern over Wheeler’s shoulder arose two weeks ago when he reported more soreness than usual after an Aug. 2 start against the Tigers. The Phillies ordered an MRI, which didn’t reveal structural damage or other sign of injury, and Wheeler said the excess soreness has since subsided.
Is the blood clot related to Wheeler’s previous soreness?
“It’s hard to say, but I don’t think so,” said Buchheit, also the Phillies’ director of medical services. “In talking with our doctors, it’s maybe independent. There weren’t these type of symptoms prior, so I do think they’re independent.”
Wheeler, runner-up in the Cy Young voting last season and in 2021, is in the mix again this season with Pirates ace Paul Skenes, Phillies teammate Cristopher Sánchez, and others. Wheeler is 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA and 195 strikeouts in 149⅔ innings.
The Phillies were planning on using a six-man rotation for at least the next week. Aaron Nola will return from the injured list Sunday to make his first start in three months after a sprained right ankle and stress fracture in his rib cage.
Without Wheeler, the Phillies will stick with five starters. Taijuan Walker continued his strong run in the rotation by allowing two runs in 6⅔ innings Saturday, his longest start since Sept. 30, 2023.
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Before the game, Walker reached out to Wheeler.
“It’s scary,” Walker said. “Obviously we’re praying for him. Trying to keep in contact with him. I know he knows we’re all here for him, we love him. But definitely scary.”
Said Schwarber: “Baseball is baseball. When it comes to someone’s health like that, we need them healthy first. He’s got a family, so we want to get him feeling good for them, and then get him up back to speed whenever we can.”