The Philadelphia Phillies have gained significant ground on the New York Mets at the top of the National League East after sweeping the Texas Rangers. However, if they’re aiming for a deep playoff run, they’ll need one of their top players to return to peak form.
The team raised concerns about their ace, Zack Wheeler, after he experienced shoulder discomfort, which led to the delay of his latest start. Wheeler did pitch against the Rangers on Sunday, but his velocity was noticeably down, and he struggled with control, making uncharacteristic mistakes.
Following the game, Wheeler assured that he felt normal despite the concerning signs. However, he revealed that his shoulder has been bothering him for longer than initially thought, sending a more alarming message about his injury.
“Honestly, it’s been a while,” Wheeler noted, per MLB.com’s Paul Casella.
From an outsider’s perspective, it would’ve been hard to tell that Zack Wheeler was battling any discomfort, especially with his strong 2.68 ERA over 23 starts this season. However, signs of lingering issues have started to show in his recent performances.
On Sunday, Wheeler allowed two earned runs over five innings, following up a three-earned run outing in six innings in his previous start. Before that, against the New York Yankees, he gave up four earned runs in just under six innings.
Despite these setbacks, both Wheeler and Phillies manager Rob Thomson expressed confidence that the ace will return to his top form. They believe the recent struggles are more a result of synchronization issues rather than the injury being a bigger problem.
“If you’ve been around baseball for a while, you know guys go through different times in the season where guys might not have their best stuff for a few starts in a row,” Wheeler explained, according to Casella. “That’s just it for me right now. It’ll come back around.”
Though those words are reassuring, the evidence on the mound suggests there could be a physical cause for Wheeler’s relative struggles. And the admission that he’s been dealing with a shoulder problem for “a while” could add to that concern.
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