The Philadelphia Phillies recently placed starting pitcher Zack Wheeler on the 15-day IL after he was diagnosed with a blood clot. He underwent surgery over the weekend, and the organization has shared an update regarding Wheeler's status.
Reports indicate that Wheeler, who is 35 years old, had a successful surgery, according to Jason Dumas of 6ABC News. The Phillies shared an official update, also revealing that Zack Wheeler must have more treatment, and a timeline for recovery is still unknown.
“Right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler underwent a successful thrombolysis procedure to remove a blood clot in his right upper extremity this morning by Dr. Paul DiMuzio at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Further treatment and a subsequent timeline of recovery for Wheeler is to be determined.”
The Phillies initially placed the three-time All-Star on the 15-day IL on August 16. That would mean the earliest he can return to action would be September 1. However, there is a chance Zack Wheeler remains on the IL beyond that date while he works his way back from a scary blood clot situation.
Zack Wheeler and the organization began noticing something was off with his shoulder back on August 10 in Philadelphia's 4-2 win over the Texas Rangers. They claimed he was dealing with shoulder soreness after the contest, as a reason why his velocity was noticeably down.
Wheeler played in his next start on August 15, where he recorded six strikeouts while allowing four hits, two walks, and two earned runs in 5.0 innings pitched, helping the Phillies earn a 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals. The following day, it came to light that Wheeler was dealing with a blood clot and that he needed to undergo surgery to fix the issue.
Hopefully, Zack Wheeler has a smooth recovery and can get back on the mound sooner rather than later. Until then, the Phillies will rely on a starting rotation consisting of Jesus Luzardo, Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Aaron Nola, and Taijuan Walker.
