Wheeler (4-1) allowed four runs on five hits and a walk while striking out four over six innings to take the loss versus the Dodgers on Friday.
Wheeler gave up four solo home runs in the contest. He gave up one in each of the first three innings and another in the fifth frame. The right-hander avoided putting too much other traffic on the bases to limit the damage, but the Phillies' offense didn't bail him out. Prior to this outing, Wheeler had given up just one homer in his first six starts of the campaign. He's at a 2.27 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 40:9 K:BB through 43.2 innings and, outside of the home run barrage Friday, looks to be in ace form after returning from a shoulder injury. His next start is projected to be at home versus the Padres.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Blanks Guardians for fourth win
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Wheeler (4-0) picked up the win Saturday, allowing two hits and a walk over six scoreless innings in a 3-0 win over the Guardians. He struck out six.
The veteran right-hander fired 64 of 99 pitches for strikes as he delivered his fifth straight quality start since the calendar flipped to May. Wheeler has a dazzling 1.38 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 30:5 K:BB through 32.2 innings on the month, and he'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next weekend against the Dodgers.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Continues dealing in third win
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Wheeler (3-0) notched the win Sunday against the Pirates, allowing no runs on four hits and one walk in seven innings. He struck out eight.
Wheeler was already enjoying a successful comeback from last year's shoulder surgery, but Sunday's performance might have been his best of the campaign so far. The 35-year-old right-hander matched a season high in punchouts, and he also submitted his first scoreless start of the season. Wheeler, who has now logged four consecutive quality starts, will be trying to keep the good times rolling in a favorable home matchup against Cleveland for his next scheduled appearance. He has a sparkling 1.99 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 30:7 K:BB across 31.2 innings.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Goes 7.1 innings in win over Boston
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Wheeler (2-0) earned the win Tuesday against the Red Sox, allowing one run on six hits and no walks with four strikeouts across 7.1 innings.
Wheeler needed just 87 pitches to record 22 outs, as he generated only seven whiffs and induced plenty of weak contact, including a pair of double-play groundouts in the second and third innings. The right-hander has looked great in four starts since returning from shoulder surgery. He's gone at least six innings in each of his last three outings and now owns a 2.55 ERA and 22:6 K:BB across 24.2 innings. Wheeler is slated to next take the mound Sunday in Pittsburgh.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Tallies another quality start
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Wheeler didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Athletics, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk in 6.1 innings. He struck out four.
Despite being taken deep for the first time this year, Wheeler registered his second consecutive quality start Wednesday. The three-time All-Star pitched a season-high 6.1 frames, and it was also encouraging to see his fastball touch 96 mph on six occasions among his season-most 98 pitches. Wheeler has a 3.12 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB over his first 17.1 innings, and he'll aim to further build up his velocity his next time out in Boston.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Fans eight to pick up first win
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Wheeler (1-0) earned the win Friday against the Marlins, allowing one run on three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts across six innings.
After throwing 84 pitches in his 2026 debut last weekend against Atlanta, Wheeler got up to 94 pitches Friday and generated 14 whiffs. His stuff looked good, but Wheeler's velocity was noticeably down again versus Miami, as he averaged 93.6 mph with his fastball after throwing it 96.1 mph in 2025 and 94.7 mph last Saturday. The soon-to-be 36-year-old may still be building up his arm following last season's shoulder issue. Through two starts, Wheeler has posted a 2.45 ERA and 14:5 K:BB across 11 innings. He is lined up to face the Athletics at home next week.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Fans six in 2026 debut
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Wheeler allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out six batters over five innings in a no-decision against Atlanta on Saturday.
Wheeler was activated from the injured list early Saturday and made his first MLB start since mid-August of last year. The veteran righty tossed 84 pitches (56 strikes) and looked dominant at times with 15 whiffs, though he also walked three batters and gave up a pair of runs in the fourth frame. Overall, this was a nice first outing for Wheeler, who gave up four runs over four frames in his final minor-league rehab start with Double-A Reading. His next appearance is lined up to be a road tilt in Miami.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Officially activated ahead of start
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The Phillies returned Wheeler (shoulder) from his rehab assignment and activated him from the 15-day injured list Saturday.
Wheeler spent the early portion of the campaign in the minors rehabbing from surgery to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome. He was shaky during the five-game rehab stint, posting a 5.85 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 20 innings, though that came with an impressive 23:5 K:BB. Wheeler is set to make his first MLB start of 2026 -- and first big-league appearance since Aug. 15 of last year -- Saturday in Atlanta.
Wheeler (shoulder) will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start Saturday in Atlanta, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Wheeler made his fifth and final rehab start Sunday with Double-A Reading, throwing 77 pitches while allowing four runs across four innings. The veteran right-hander's performance was up-and-down during the rehab stint, as he finished with a 5.85 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 23:5 K:BB over 20 frames. Now fully recovered from surgery to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome, Wheeler should be able to handle a mostly normal workload in his first start of the season Saturday.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: On cusp of '26 debut
Rotowire
Wheeler (shoulder) struck out four and allowed four earned runs on six hits and one walk across four innings Sunday in his rehab start with Double-A Reading.
After working 5.2 innings and posting a 9:0 K:BB in his previous appearance for Reading on Tuesday, Wheeler took a step back with his command and control Sunday. He spotted 48 of his 77 pitches for strikes and yielded a solo home run and a three-run blast, bringing his ERA up to 5.85 and his WHIP to 1.20 over his five rehab starts between Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Though his results haven't been as strong as the Phillies might have hoped, Wheeler has been able to progressively build up his pitch counts and looks ready to handle a typical starter's workload in his next outing, which is expected to come with the big club. Wheeler tentatively lines up to return from the 15-day injured list to make his 2026 Phillies debut during next weekend's series in Atlanta.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Following opener in next outing
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Walker will work in bulk relief behind an opener during his next turn through the rotation Wednesday against the Cubs, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
The veteran right-hander has surrendered 19 earned runs across 18.1 frames in his first four starts of the season, so the Phillies will attempt to limit his exposure to the top of Chicago's lineup Wednesday. Regardless of his role, Walker will have minimal streaming appeal while going up against a Cubs offense that is averaging more than eight runs scored over the past six games. The Phillies are expected to get Zack Wheeler (shoulder) back from the injured list later next week, so Walker may not be in line for any starts or planned bulk-relief appearances for a while after Wednesday's outing.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Hit hard in Friday's loss
Rotowire
Walker (1-3) took the loss Friday as the Phillies were routed 9-0 by Atlanta, coughing up seven runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings. He struck out four.
The right-hander served up homers to Austin Riley in the second inning and Dominic Smith in the third, the second time in four starts that Walker has been taken deep multiple times. It's been a brutal beginning to the year for the 33-year-old, and he carries a 9.16 ERA, 2.04 WHIP and 16:10 K:BB through 18.2 innings. Zack Wheeler (shoulder) will make what could be his final rehab start Sunday, but that schedule would allow Walker to get one more turn through the rotation on the road next week against the Cubs before being replaced.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Looks sharper in fourth rehab start
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Wheeler (shoulder) struck out nine and allowed four hits and no walks while allowing three runs in 5.2 innings during his fourth rehab start with Double-A Reading on Tuesday.
Wheeler built himself up to 72 pitches Tuesday, an encouraging sign during the final stages of his rehab from last year's venous thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. The right-hander is next slated to make a fifth and perhaps final rehab appearance with Reading on Sunday. Manager Rob Thomson did note Tuesday that Wheeler could make a sixth rehab start, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, depending on how the hurler fares in his outing Sunday.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Still seeking velocity during rehab
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Wheeler (shoulder) struck out six over 4.1 innings in his third rehab start Wednesday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, allowing one run on three hits and one walk.
The All-Star right-hander built up to 61 pitches Wednesday, although it was fairly discouraging to see his fastball velocity average 92.9 mph after it averaged 96.1 mph last year. It remains to be seen if Wheeler will be able to regain the form he displayed before last year's venous thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, but he'll make at least one more rehab appearance to try and tune up before the Phillies consider reinstating him from the injured list, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Slated for two more rehab starts
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Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Saturday that Wheeler (shoulder) will continue his rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and will make another minor-league start after that, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Wheeler struggled in his second rehab start with Lehigh Valley on Friday, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks while striking one batter over three innings. His four-seamer averaged 92.7 mph, and Philadelphia will give him at least two more starts to build up in the minors after he threw 49 pitches Friday. That puts a possible return to the major leagues around April 18 or 19, depending on how Wheeler fares as he completes his recovery from venous thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Looks sharp in first rehab start
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Wheeler (shoulder) struck out three and scattered two hits and one walk over three scoreless frames in a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Heading into the rehab start, the Phillies had planned for Wheeler to cover three innings or 50 pitches. The right-hander was even more economical than the Phillies had hoped, needing only 38 pitches to record nine outs in what was his first official game since Aug. 15, 2025. After undergoing thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September, Wheeler has had a fairly seamless recovery thus far and appears on track to return from the 15-day injured list around mid-April. He'll continue to build up his innings and pitch count in his next rehab start, which is set to come Friday versus Triple-A Durham.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Three innings in first rehab start
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Wheeler (shoulder) is scheduled to throw three innings and/or 50 pitches in Saturday's rehab start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Corey Seidman of PHLY Sports reports.
It will be Wheeler's first official game action since last September's venous thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. The Phillies will likely want Wheeler to get his pitch count up to the 80-to-90 range before clearing him for his season debut, so the right-hander will likely make two additional rehab starts after Saturday before returning in mid-April if all goes well.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Still tracking toward April return
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Wheeler (shoulder) threw 29 pitches over two simulated innings on the back fields of Phillies camp Monday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
The 35-year-old righty is still slated to open the season on the 10-day injured list while he builds back up from venous thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, which he underwent Sept. 23. While facing off Monday against some of the Phillies' lower-level farmhands, Wheeler reportedly looked sharp and ramped up his velocity in the second inning. Wheeler is expected to continue increasing the volume and intensity of his sim games over the next week or two before potentially kicking off a rehab assignment shortly after the minor-league season gets underway. Though he's currently without a firm target date for making his 2026 Phillies debut, Wheeler appears likely to return from the IL at some point in April.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Will pitch in minors game Monday
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Wheeler (shoulder) will pitch in a minor-league game Monday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Wheeler will be limited to 40 pitches, but it will mark his first game action of the spring. The veteran right-hander is set to open the regular season on the injured list, but a return at some point in April appears to still be on the table. Wheeler has been throwing bullpens and live batting practice sessions for the past few weeks. Top pitching prospect Andrew Painter figures to open the season in the Phillies' rotation while Wheeler works his way into game shape.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Makes progress in live BP session
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Wheeler (shoulder) told reporters that he felt "more in sync" during his live batting practice session Saturday, Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Saturday was Wheeler's first time facing batters since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in September to remove a blood clot in his right shoulder. He threw 20 pitches during Saturday's session and noted that his fastball reached 93 mph, which was higher than it had been during his bullpen sessions but still lower than his 95.9 mph average last season. Wheeler will continue to build up his velocity and will likely have another bullpen session in the coming days, but it's not clear as to whether he will pitch in any Grapefruit League games before the conclusion of spring training.
