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The Philadelphia Phillies will chug along without their ace after the team announced Saturday that ace Zack Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome and will require additional surgery that’s expected to sideline him for six to eight months.
The 35-year-old Wheeler had a follow-up evaluation following surgery on Aug. 18, three days after his last start, to remove a blood clot from his upper right arm.
After receiving a second opinion, it was recommended that Wheeler undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks. Such an operation would threaten Wheeler’s ability to start the 2026 season on time.
Wheeler previously missed time in 2022 due to a forearm injury and had Tommy John surgery in 2015 while he was with the New York Mets.
Wheeler, a three-time All-Star, was 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA in 24 starts across 149 2/3 innings this season. His 195 strikeouts lead the National League, and he was widely considered a top candidate in this year’s NL Cy Young race. He also had an NL-best 0.94 WHIP. Philadelphia’s starting rotation entered Aug. 23 with a 3.61 ERA, good for 10th in MLB.
Wheeler is a two-time runner-up for the Cy Young Award, finishing second in 2021 and 2024. Philadelphia signed him to a three-year, $126 million extension in March 2024, a deal which ends after the 2027 season.
The Phillies are 74-54, good for the No. 2 seed in the NL and a six-game lead for first place in the NL East.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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