Phillies Zack Wheeler has surgery to remove blood clot
The club said further treatment and a subsequent timeline of recovery will be determined.
Wheeler was placed on the injured list on Saturday after the blood clot was discovered while the Phillies were in Washington, D.C. for a series with the Nationals.
Wheeler felt 'heaviness' in the shoulder the day after allowing two runs in five innings of a 6-2 win over the Nationals the day before.
The 35-year-old right-hander was 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA and made his third All-Star team this season. He has finished second in the National League Cy Young voting two of the last four years, including last season.
'He's the heart of our team, the heart of our staff,' said Phillies reliever Matt Strahm, who lockers next to Wheeler.
Wheeler had struggled over the last month and reported shoulder soreness in July that Phillies head trainer Paul Buchheit told reporters in Washington was likely unrelated to the blood clot.
The loss of Wheeler is a huge blow to the Phillies, who lead the Mets in the National League East by five games and are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the No. 2 seed in the National League.
'A lot of people ask me about the pitching staff, and the team and right now my thoughts are just about him,' said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. 'This isn't a hamstring or a calf. This is life. Hopefully everything works out, but so far so good.'
They welcomed Aaron Nola back to the rotation on Sunday after he missed three months with ankle and rib injuries, though he gave up six runs in less than three innings.
The Phillies start a six-game homestand with the Seattle Mariners on Monday.
Bill Evans can be reached atbevans@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at@bybillevans.
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