Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler underwent a medical procedure to remove a blood clot in his right upper extremity on Monday morning at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. The operation was performed by Dr. Paul DiMuzio, two days after Wheeler was placed on the 15-day injured list because of the clot. There is no current timetable for his return.
“We don’t know,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said before the team’s 12-7 win over the Mariners at Citizens Bank Park. “We don’t know until we get further information.”
Thomson emphasized that the primary concern is Wheeler’s health and family. “A lot of people ask me about the pitching staff and the team, but right now, my thoughts are just about him,” Thomson said. “Like 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 — and so far, so good.”
Wheeler had been contending for the National League Cy Young Award earlier in the season, highlighted by a complete-game one-hitter with 12 strikeouts against the Reds on July 6. However, he posted a 4.54 ERA over his next six starts and experienced shoulder soreness following an August 2 outing against Detroit.
He continued to pitch twice more after that—on August 10 in Arlington and again last Friday in Washington D.C.—but his velocity was down compared to earlier games.
“Zack had been feeling better after his right shoulder soreness,” Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit said on Saturday when Wheeler was placed on the IL. “But [Friday], some symptoms had changed. Doctors were great in helping to diagnose and expedite that diagnosis [Saturday] morning.”
Wheeler underwent further testing Monday leading up to the procedure where “the clot was cleared out of there,” according to Thomson.
Teammates expressed support for Wheeler as he recovers from surgery. “He’s the heart of this team, the heart of this staff,” said Matt Strahm, whose locker is next to Wheeler’s in the clubhouse. “You never want to see it.”
Strahm added that their main concern is for Wheeler’s family: “That’s what we’re thinking of first and foremost — he’s a dad and his family comes first,” Strahm said. “So that’s what we’re worried about mostly.”
Bryce Harper also commented: “You start thinking about not just the game, but his family, his kids and everything else,” Harper said. “It’s bigger than this game. I know everything went well today, so that’s good. But [he’s] definitely going to be missed in here, but we just want him to get better and feel better.”
As for how this affects team strategy moving forward, Thomson confirmed that Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker will make up a five-man rotation for now.
“Yeah, for the time being,” Thomson said. “For the time being, I think we’re pretty good.”
Andrew Painter has been considered as an option if needed; however, Painter has struggled with Triple-A Lehigh Valley recently with a 5.31 ERA over 17 starts this season.
Using Painter could help give extra rest to other pitchers who have increased workloads or recently returned from injury—Nola just came back after missing three months due to an ankle sprain while Sánchez and Luzardo are both logging more innings than last year.
Thomson stated he does not want players changing their approach because of Wheeler’s absence: “As I told everybody, ‘Just be yourselves. That’s all we can do. Don’t try to be anybody else,'” Thomson said. “Because they’re good enough just the way they are.”
