Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler will miss the rest of the 2025 season after being diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). The team has stated that Wheeler’s health is their primary concern, but his absence raises questions about the club’s rotation and future plans.
Venous TOS involves compression of the veins, which can lead to symptoms like heaviness due to a blood clot. Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit explained, “If you have symptoms from a neurological perspective, they may be present for a long time and it takes a while to kind of evaluate and treat through. A lot of times, you don’t go to a surgical option right away. With Zack, it was an acute onset, so he doesn’t have that long protracted time period where he’s been battling things.
“The surgeons say that he’s going to have a really good prognosis with this.”
Wheeler’s recovery timeline is estimated at six to eight months. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said, “We figure that he’ll come back in the 6-8-month time period and be the Zack Wheeler of old. That’s what we’ve been told. Unless something unanticipated happens, he’ll be able to come back and pitch like he has before this.”
Wheeler turns 36 next May and is under contract through 2027. He has previously expressed his goal of winning both a Cy Young Award and a World Series title before retiring.
The Phillies had intended to use a six-man rotation once Aaron Nola returned from injury, aiming to give starters additional rest during a demanding stretch of games. That plan changed when Wheeler was placed on the injured list just as Nola became available again.
Manager Rob Thomson addressed possible changes: “Possibly,” Thomson said regarding whether roster expansion could allow for more flexibility in the rotation. “Because we will have some flexibility then.”
Top prospect Andrew Painter’s status remains uncertain. Although Painter was expected to debut this year, his performance at Triple-A Lehigh Valley—where he holds a 5.11 ERA over 18 starts—has made that less certain. Still, with rosters expanding soon and extra spots available, Thomson noted Painter is fully available for either Philadelphia or Lehigh Valley: “We planned it out so he can go the rest of the season and just be a normal pitcher,” Thomson said.
Wheeler is set for surgery in coming weeks and may spend time around the team during recovery if circumstances allow. Thomson said, “I hope so… I’m sure he will because he’ll have some rehab to do. Whether he’s here every day or not, I don’t know yet.”
Teammate Kyle Schwarber emphasized prioritizing Wheeler’s overall well-being: “Like we’ve always said, it’s more about getting him healthy in general and not worrying about baseball health,” Schwarber said. “We want him to be 100% for his family and his kids, and not feel like he’s going to have anything to worry about as life goes on.”
