5 days ago
Phillies Make Pitching Move After Recent Zack Wheeler News
Phillies Make Pitching Move After Recent Zack Wheeler News originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Philadelphia Phillies have continued to compete with the New York Mets as the top team in the NL East.
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It will be a close race between two of the National League's best, as the Phillies are just a half-game behind the Mets with a record of 37-23.
With the return of Bryce Harper to the lineup on Tuesday, the Philadelphia Phillies were able to shake out of their four-game losing streak and find a win in their series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) walks towards the dugout after the third out against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning at Rogers Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The team will be without ace Zack Wheeler for the rest of the series as he was placed on the team's paternity list as the Wheeler family expects the birth of their child in the coming days.
With this being said, the Phillies made room on their roster for 23-year-old right-handed pitcher Mick Abel, and he will be making his second career start for the Phillies on Wednesday.
Abel made his debut on May 18 in a pitching duel against Pittsburgh Pirates' ace Paul Skenes, delivering a standout, nine-strikeout performance that earned him his first career win in the major leagues.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Mick Abel (40) throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third inning at Citizens Bank Ross-Imagn Images
His debut was a spot start after the Phillies originally planned to only give him the one game before getting sent back down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
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Now, a few weeks later, after Philadelphia gave Zack Wheeler time off to be with his family, Abel will get another opportunity to show what he's capable of.
Mick Abel is listed as the Phillies No. 8 player on their prospect list and has been very impressive with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Through 10 starts in Triple-A, Abel has posted a 2.21 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, while striking out 67 batters in 57 innings pitched.
He will look to start against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday to help seal the series victory for the Phillies.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
