In an interview with Scott Lauber of the Inquirer published yesterday, Zack Wheeler discussed his offseason full of surgery and recovery from a rather significant injury in the most nonchalant, Zack Wheeler way possible. Here’s an excerpt from that fascinating interview below:
“In classic Wheeler fashion, he insists he isn’t worried.
“I don’t think there’s any reason why I wouldn’t be who I am,” he said. “It’s not like a major surgery. I just got a rib taken out. It might sound like a crazy situation,
or crazy surgery, or whatever, but mentally, I’m not really stressed about it. Physically, I’m not really stressed about it.”
Despite Wheeler’s insistence, he did undergo a somewhat major surgery, especially for a pitcher. It wasn’t Tommy John surgery or something wrong with his shoulder, but thoracic outlet syndrome is still a significant enough case where doubt creeps in on whether a pitcher can return to form, especially one who is about to turn 36 years old like Wheeler. Even some of Wheeler’s teammates, including Bryce Harper, don’t know exactly what to expect from Wheeler when he takes the mound in 2026.
But Wheeler does have one thing going for him, and that is that he had the lesser of the two thoracic outlet syndrome injuries. In Wheeler’s case it was a vein that was impacted, rather than a nerve. It’s still a scary situation from a general health standpoint and that is what comes first, but nerve damage could have been disastrous from a pitching standpoint. Thankfully, it appears Wheeler has not suffered any damage to any nerves.
You’re going to hear the name Merrill Kelly a lot this season, as he is the last MLB pitcher to undergo the same treatment as Wheeler. Kelly had his surgery in September of 2020 and returned in April of 2021. Kelly has thrown over 600 innings since undergoing that surgery and did not see any major changes in his stuff. However, Kelly was 31 when he underwent the surgery and 32 when he made his return whereas Wheeler was 35 and will be 36.
Wheeler will not be ready by opening day, but he is currently on schedule to not be far behind. He is getting closer to being able to throw off of a mound, the beginning of a ramp up back to pitching form. It’s been six months since the original procedure to remove the blood clot. It’s been five months since the procedure to remove the rib to alleviate the pressure on the vein and prevent further clotting. Recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery is typically estimated at six to eight months.
Since joining the Phillies, Wheeler has averaged over 180 innings per season, the 2020 COVID season excluded. He has been one of the most dominant and durable pitchers in baseball since arriving in Philadelphia. Will he be right back to his old self, or will he be a lesser version? What could a lesser version of Zack Wheeler look like? With all of this in mind, what are your realistic expectations for Zack Wheeler in 2026?
