Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler underwent a “successful thrombolysis procedure to remove a blood clot in his right upper extremity” on Monday, the team announced. Further treatment and a recovery timetable are still be determined.
“We don’t know the timeline,” manager Rob Thomson said this past weekend (via MLB.com). “I’m thinking a lot about Zack and his family because this is not a hamstring injury or something like that.”
Wheeler, 35, was placed on the injured list Sunday. He recently had a start pushed back by shoulder soreness, though it is unclear if that is related to the blood clot. Wheeler went down right as Aaron Nola returned from a three-month absence with an ankle injury. The club’s rotation depth chart currently looks like this:
RHP Zack Wheeler(out indefinitely)- LHP Cristopher Sánchez
- RHP Aaron Nola
- LHP Jesús Luzardo
- LHP Ranger Suárez
- RHP Taijuan Walker
- RHP Alan Rangel
The Phillies intended to use a six-man rotation once Nola returned as a way to give their starters, who have worked a lot this season, extra rest. Philadelphia’s starters have thrown 707 ⅓ innings this season, 18 ⅓ more than any other team. Their starters rank third in ERA (3.49) and first in WAR (15.6). No other team has gotten even 14 WAR from their starters. Thomson said there is a chance the team calls up top prospect Andrew Painter to go to a six-man rotation.
It goes without saying losing Wheeler is a devastating blow, especially if his absence extends into the postseason. He has been arguably the best pitcher in baseball over the last half-decade and a steady source of high-quality innings. At the time he was placed on the injured list, Wheeler led qualified pitchers in WHIP (0.94) and all pitchers in strikeouts (195).
The Phillies are 71-53 and have a five-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East. Those two teams have a three-game series at Citi Field (Aug. 25-27) and a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park (Sept. 8-11) remaining this year.