One of the more intriguing narratives for the Philadelphia Phillies this season has been the recovery of their ace, Zack Wheeler. After undergoing surgery late last year to remove a blood clot, Wheeler has been working his way back through multiple minor league rehab starts across both Double-A and Triple-A levels.
His early appearances were a mixed bag. He struck out three batters in his debut with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs but struggled in his second outing, surrendering five runs.
However, Wheeler looked much more like himself in his fourth rehab start Tuesday night with the Reading Fightin Phils. Facing the Somerset Patriots, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, the 35-year-old pitched 5.2 innings, allowing four hits and three runs while recording nine strikeouts. One of those strikeouts came against Anthony Volpe, who is also on assignment with Somerset.
That outing marked Wheeler’s longest rehab appearance so far, both in innings and pitch count, as he threw 72 pitches. According to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, Wheeler is expected to make one more start on Sunday at the Double-A level, which could be his final rehab appearance before returning to the majors.
His return would be a significant boost for Philadelphia, which has struggled on the mound this season, ranking near the bottom of the league with a .269 opponent batting average and a 4.62 team ERA.
