The Philadelphia Phillies, who had been playing well and were in a good rhythm heading into the postseason, will now have to deal with the absence of Zack Wheeler. He was diagnosed with a blood clot in his shoulder and will be placed on the 15-day injured list, though his absence could be much longer.
Fortunately, Wheeler’s departure from active duty will be cushioned by the imminent return of two players who could be a big help to the team. One of them is Aaron Nola, who has been recovering for some time and will finally be available.
The other player is Alec Bohm, who will be activated on Sunday, August 17. Bohm was also dealing with an injury and his return could allow him to reclaim his spot in the infield, pending manager Rob Thomson’s decision.
How Long Could Wheeler Be Injured?
The Phillies officially announced that Zack Wheeler will be placed on the 15-day injured list, which translates to two weeks without his services. It’s a significant amount of time, but they still have options to cover his spot in the rotation, potentially with a pitcher from Triple-A.
However, there is also a chance that Wheeler might not be able to return for the rest of the MLB year. That’s what a separate report from independent medical analyst Dr. Deepak Chona suggests. He noted that the pitcher’s injury appears similar to the one suffered by the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, which sidelined him for the remainder of last season.
“Zack Wheeler – Likely same diagnosis as Wemby,” Chona said in his analysis of the Phillies pitcher’s injury. “Most commonly surgery, out for season, but high likelihood of return next year at same performance level.”
