When the Philadelphia Phillies revealed on Saturday that star pitcher Zack Wheeler will miss the rest of the season due to venous thoracic outlet syndrome, the team dealt a serious blow to their hopes of making the playoffs.
After Wheeler’s successful evacuation of a blood clot in his right upper extremity on August 18, it was suggested during the evaluation and second opinions that he have surgery, which will happen later.
Venous thoracic outlet syndrome, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a collection of disorders where pressure is placed on blood vessels or nerves in the region between the neck and shoulder, potentially resulting in numb fingers. According to the team, it can take six to eight months to fully heal from the injury.
After tossing 97 pitches against the Washington Nationals on August 15, Wheeler, a three-time All-Star and Cy Young candidate, was placed on the injured list earlier this week. For the first-place Phillies, the 35-year-old right-hander was having a fantastic season, going 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA in 24 starts over 149 2/3 innings and 195 strikeouts.
The Phillies’ starting rotation still appears capable of being strong with Wheeler out, particularly in short playoff series. In a postseason series, Aaron Nola, who was just activated from injured list, Ranger Suarez, and Cristopher Sanchez might go 1-2-3. Taijuan Walker and Jesus Luzardo are also included in the rotation. As Saturday night action begins, the Phillies lead the Mets by six games. Starting Monday at CitiField in New York, the two National League East rivals will play each other in a crucial three-game series.