Latest news with #Zack Wheeler
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Zack Wheeler's recovery timetable from a blood clot remains unknown for Phillies
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler underwent a procedure Monday morning to remove a blood clot in his 'right upper extremity,' the team announced. Wheeler was initially placed on the injured list following Saturday's game in Washington. As of Monday afternoon, the Phillies have yet to disclose or develop a timetable for a possible return to the mound, but did convey that the procedure was deemed a success. During his pregame availability with the media Monday afternoon, Phillies manager Rob Thomson was asked whether he thought Wheeler, indisputably one of the game's best pitchers, would pitch again this season. 'We don't know,' Thomson said. 'We don't know until we get further information.' [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The serious nature of Wheeler's condition means that Thomson and the Phillies have, understandably, been most concerned with the hurler's general well-being. Blood clots, left untreated, can be life-threatening, particularly for those who travel often. Monday's announcement of a successful surgery appears to be positive news on that front. 'A lot of people ask me about the pitching staff and the team, right now my thoughts are just about him. I said the other day, this isn't like a hamstring or a calf. This is real, this is life. So my thoughts are constantly on him and his family. Hopefully everything works out, so far so good.' Wheeler first reported discomfort after his most recent start, a five-inning outing against the Nationals on Friday night. According to the team, Wheeler felt a heaviness in his shoulder that was abnormal for him. Evaluations the following day uncovered the blood clot. Though the specifics of his situation are not publicly known, it is very likely that Wheeler will need to go on blood thinners after his surgery Monday. That would almost certainly prohibit him from retaking the mound anytime soon. Playing sports on blood thinners, even a non-contact sport like baseball, is incredibly dangerous due to the increased risk of bleeding. A similar situation kept San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama off the court for the second half of this NBA season after he was found to have a vein issue in his right shoulder. New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, the second-highest paid player in franchise history, was diagnosed with blood clots last season. He missed the majority of the season after the diagnosis. There is a track record, albeit small, of blood clots and vascular issues affecting MLB pitchers. Most often, that manifests in the form of thoracic outlet syndrome, or TOS, a condition where blood vessels and nerves get pinched just below the collarbone. Though Wheeler has not, to this point, been diagnosed with TOS, the procedure he underwent, according to Will Carroll of Under The Knife, is similar and often precedes a similar rehab process. In August of 2020, current Rangers pitcher Merrill Kelly had TOS surgery to remove a blood clot in his shoulder. The then Arizona Diamondback missed the remainder of that season, but returned the following year and continued to pitch well. Kelly's experience with TOS varies wildly from, say, that of former Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg, whose career was derailed by the condition. It is worth noting that the type of TOS that afflicted Strasburg, called neurogenic TOS, tends to be much more debilitating than the vascular TOS that Kelly suffered from. How this all relates to Wheeler remains to be seen. The 35-year-old right-hander had been in the midst of another superb season. Wheeler currently leads the National League in strikeouts with 195 and slots in fifth in ERA with a 2.71. He was firmly in the mix, alongside Pirates flamethrower Paul Skenes, to win the first Cy Young of his already sensational career. From a baseball perspective, Wheeler's absence will undoubtedly inconvenience a Phillies team currently five games up on the New York Mets in the National League East. Wheeler would have been the best pitcher on the NL side of the playoff bracket and surely would have started Game 1 of the team's first series. But while Wheeler's consistent dominance is irreplaceable, the Phillies are relatively well-suited to weather his absence. Southpaw Cristopher Sánchez looks slated to finish in the top three of NL Cy Young voting as well. He has a sparkling 2.45 ERA across 24 starts. Behind Sánchez, the Phillies have a quartet of dependable options. Ranger Suárez (3.28 in 18 starts) has struggled of late, but had a 10-start stretch over the summer where he was the best arm in MLB. Jesús Luzardo (4.21 in 25 starts) has rolled through ups and downs in his first year with the Phillies, but looks like a frontline arm when he's on. Taijuan Walker (3.34 in 15 starts) entered the year as an afterthought, but has delivered a very impressive bounceback campaign. Aaron Nola (6.92 ERA) returned from the IL on Sunday after missing three months with a foot issue. He was not sharp in his first start back and was underperforming before the injury, but Nola has a long enough résumé to inspire some level of confidence. Top prospect Andrew Painter (5.15 in 21 MiLB starts) was expected to join the big-league club this summer, but the heralded 22-year-old has underwhelmed in Triple-A. He remains something of a wild card. None of those characters, obviously, will match the reliability and the impact Wheeler would have provided. Since joining the Phillies in 2020, the bald Georgian leads all qualified MLB pitchers in innings and fWAR. He has established himself as a generational talent, one undeniably worthy of the record-breaking three-year, $126 million contract he received last spring. That $42 million annual average value is the highest in MLB history. Wheeler has also endeared himself to a fan base, a franchise and the entire Phillies community. He is understated, but wry. Unrelentingly fierce, but kind. Appreciated in his own clubhouse and immensely respected in the 29 others.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler diagnosed with blood clot in his pitching arm
star Zack Wheeler has been diagnosed with a blood clot in his pitching arm. Dave Dombrowski, the president of baseball operations for the Phillies, said after a 2-0 loss at Washington that Wheeler, who is now on the injured list, had been diagnosed with a 'right upper extremity blood clot.' 'There's not a lot that we can say on it at this time,' said Dombrowski, who commended doctors for finding the clot. 'It could have been a much more trying situation than it is.' Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit said Wheeler had been feeling better after some right shoulder soreness caused him to push back a start earlier this month. But that changed Friday. 'He felt a little heaviness,' Buchheit said. 'So, the doctors here were great in helping to diagnose and expedite that diagnosis this morning.' Buchheit said he didn´t think Wheeler´s present condition had anything to do with his previous stiffness. He said there is a wide variety of treatments available, but he declined to get into specifics. Wheeler, who made his third All-Star team last month, has thrown at least 192 innings in three of the previous four seasons Dombrowski said Wheeler would be evaluated further in Philadelphia. Wheeler pitched for the NL East leaders on Friday and was limited to five innings for the second consecutive start. The right-hander allowed two runs and four hits at Washington. The 35-year-old Wheeler, who made his third All-Star team last month, has a major league-high 195 strikeouts in 149 2/3 innings. He has thrown at least 192 innings in three of the previous four seasons. Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber said it was most important to get Wheeler back healthy. 'It´s a scary situation, right? ... Just want to get him back in here and hear from him,' Schwarber said. 'Hopefully it´s not going to be too serious. Get him in here and get him healthy. 'You know, baseball is baseball, and when it comes to someone´s health like that, we need him healthy first. You know, he´s got a family, so we want to get him feeling good for them and get him back to speed whenever we can.'
Forbes
5 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Phillies Ace Zack Wheeler Goes On IL With Blood Clot In Throwing Arm
Yes, this is worrisome. The Philadelphia Phillies placed their ace Zack Wheeler on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a blood clot in his right arm. Wheeler had a start bumped back earlier this month due to shoulder stiffness and recently showed some diminished velocity on his fastball. But he said he felt normal pitching against the Nationals in Washington Friday night. His velocity returned, and he didn't want to leave the game after five innings and 97 pitches. Then later that night, Wheeler's arm felt strange — 'a little heaviness' near his shoulder, as head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit called it. The Phillies consulted the Nationals' doctors and a clot was discovered in his arm. After the Phillies' 2-0 loss Saturday to the Nationals, the team announced that Wheeler was placed on the injured list with an ailment described as a 'right upper extremity blood clot.' He has since returned to Philly for more testing. The Phillies don't have a timeline for Wheeler's absence but he will miss at least 15 days, likely more. 'It's still early on in the diagnosis,' Buchheit said. 'I think we should gather more information before we put prognosis and treatment plan together.' Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski praised the doctors for discovering the clot but said, "There's not a lot that we can say on it at this time. It could have been a much more trying situation than it is." Wheeler, 35, is 10-5 this season with a 2.71 ERA. And has been this dominant: He has 195 strikeouts in 149⅔ innings. But he has struggled since the all-star break, compiling 4.23 ERA and only winning one game in five outings. Wheeler, who made the All-Star team for the third time this season, finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting in 2024. His IL stint begins one day before Aaron Nola, who has been out for three months with a rib injury, will rejoin the rotation Sunday.
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Topper: Zack Wheeler dealing with right shoulder soreness
Rob Thomson spoke to reporters on Wednesday ahead of the Phillies game against the Orioles and discussed the concerning news surrounding Zack Wheeler. Topper: Zack Wheeler dealing with right shoulder soreness originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
