The Philadelphia Phillies will not have their ace the rest of 2025. Right-hander Zack Wheeler will have surgery to treat venous thoracic outlet, the team announced Saturday. The surgery typically comes with a 6-8 month recovery, meaning Wheeler’s availability for the start of 2026 could be impacted. He last appeared in a game on Aug. 15.
Here is the team’s announcement:
Right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler had a follow-up evaluation and received second opinions this week after his successful right upper extremity blood clot removal on Monday, August 18.
Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome and the recommendation is to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks. Details of the surgery are forthcoming.
The timeline of recovery from the surgery is generally 6-8 months.
Wheeler, 35, was yet again pitching at a Cy Young level prior to this injury. He has a 2.71 ERA in 149 ⅔ innings spanning 24 starts this year, and he still leads the National League in strikeouts (195) and WHIP (0.94). Wheeler is seventh among all pitchers with 4.0 WAR.
There was some hope Wheeler could return later this season or in the postseason following his recent blood clot removal. It goes without saying that losing him is a devastating blow for a team with World Series hopes, though perhaps no team can absorb the blow as well as the Phillies. Their rotation is arguably the best in the sport.
Here is Philadelphia’s updated rotation depth chart:
RHP Zack Wheeler(out for 2025)- LHP Cristopher Sánchez
- LHP Jesús Luzardo
- RHP Aaron Nola
- LHP Ranger Suárez
- RHP Taijuan Walker
- RHP Alan Rangel
Sánchez is fourth among pitchers with 4.7 WAR and is a bona fide Cy Young contender. He is a legitimate No. 1 starter going into October. Luzardo, Nola, and Suárez, in whatever order, make for a more than credible 2-3-4 in a postseason series. Philadelphia’s starters lead baseball with 16.5 WAR, comfortably ahead of the second ranked Cincinnati Reds (13.6 WAR).
The Phillies enter play Saturday with a 74-54 record. They have a six-game lead in the NL East, so while the race is by no means over, they have some breathing room. Philadelphia is 7 ½ games up on a postseason berth in general. They are well-positioned not only to win their division but also to secure a Wild Card Series bye.
This is Year 1 of Wheeler’s three-year, $126 million extension. He has been the best pitcher in baseball the last few years. Wheeler leads all pitchers with 979 innings and 28.7 WAR since signing with the Phillies prior to the 2020 season. No one else is over even 22.7 WAR.
Injuries, including Tommy John surgery, limited Wheeler earlier in his career. This is his first time dealing with blood clots and this is his first injured list stint since a bout with forearm tightness in September 2022.