Zack Wheeler injury update: Phillies place star pitcher on IL with 'upper extremity blood clot'

Zack Wheeler injury update: Phillies place star pitcher on IL with 'upper extremity blood clot' originally appeared on The Sporting News

The Phillies' starting pitching has been a significant strength for the team throughout 2025, but all of a sudden, the staff may be shorthanded moving forward.

Following Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Nationals, Philadelphia's president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, announced that ace Zack Wheeler is being placed on the IL with an "upper-extremity blood clot."

Wheeler has been among the NL's best pitchers not just this season, but throughout his time in Philadelphia. Over his past six starts, he had allowed a somewhat uncharacteristic 17 earned runs in 33.2 innings.

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Here's what to know about Wheeler's blood clot and how it will impact the Phillies' rotation as the team pursues another NL East title.

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Zack Wheeler injury update

Dombrowski told reporters on Saturday evening that the Phillies are placing Wheeler on the 15-day IL with a blood clot in his right shoulder, which is his throwing arm. As ESPN's Jeff Passan reported, the timeline for Wheeler's return is "unclear."

Wheeler's performance hasn't completely fallen off a cliff lately, but there were growing signs of concern for the pitcher. For a No. 1 arm who had previously made 11 starts this season with one earned run allowed or fewer, Wheeler went on a recent stretch that included 17 earned runs allowed over six starts. That stretch also came after a July 6 outing in which he tossed a complete game against the Reds.

On Aug. 10 against the Rangers, Wheeler allowed two runs in five innings with three walks and some decreased velocity. However, the Phillies didn't show too much concern for his dropping numbers at the time, which were still considered good even with a decrease in overall performance.

"I’m not concerned,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Wheeler on Aug. 10, per The Athletic. “They’re working on some stuff, and he just looks a little bit out of sync. The velocity’s not there, but his secondary stuff was good. He got a lot of whiffs.”

According to The Athletic, Wheeler had mentioned "shoulder stiffness" following his Aug. 2 start against the Tigers, which prompted the team to give him some extra rest between starts. The Phillies also had imaging done at the time, but Wheeler was never taken out of the rotation. 

“I’m not concerned,” Wheeler said at the time, per The Athletic. “I’ve pitched at [a lower] velo before. It will come back.”

Wheeler is set to undergo further testing on the blood clot, with no word on his potential return as the Phillies eye an NL East title over the next month-and-a-half.

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Phillies rotation without Zack Wheeler

While Wheeler's injury leaves the Phillies without one of baseball's best pitchers for an unknown period, the team does have the luxury of Aaron Nola returning from the IL on Sunday. Nola hasn't pitched since May 14 due to a rib injury. 

With Nola back, he'll join a rotation that is still set to include Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo, and Taijuan Walker. Until Wheeler returns, which remains up in the air for now, Philadelphia will be relying on some other arms.

Here's a look at Philadelphia's rotation outside of Wheeler:

• Aaron Nola (1-7, 49.2 IP, 6.16 ERA)
• Christopher Sanchez (11-4, 150.2 IP, 2.45 ERA)
• Ranger Suarez (8-6, 112.1 IP, 3.28 ERA)
• Jesus Luzardo (11-6, 139.0 IP, 4.21 ERA)
• Taijuan Walker (4-6, 91.2 IP, 3.34 ERA)

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Zack Wheeler stats

While he's fallen behind Paul Skenes and his teammate Christopher Sanchez in the NL Cy Young race lately, Wheeler's been both one of the most dominant and durable starters in the league this season.

His 149.2 innings this season rank sixth in MLB, while his 195 strikeouts lead all of baseball. Here's a look at Wheeler's stats this season:

• Games: 24
• Record: 10-5
• Innings Pitched: 149.2
• ERA: 2.71
• WHIP: 0.94
• Strikeouts: 195
• Walks: 33