Philadelphia Phillies’ ace Zack Wheeler has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right forearm tendinitis. Wheeler pitched the most innings in baseball last season, and the Phillies slow played his return at the beginning of the year to try and avoid injury. Wheeler hasn’t had his best stuff as of late, and the injury news can potentially explain why.
The Phillies ace goes down at a less than ideal time, as the Phillies are looking to try and lock in their playoff spot. In the meantime, the club will ask Bailey Falter to take over for Wheeler in the rotation. The Phillies hope that Zack can return soon and healthy and will prioritize his health over rushing him back. The team recently used Cristopher Sanchez in a spot start to try and give their rotation some time to recoup.
Philadelphia can manage without Wheeler for a bit, but coming down the stretch, they could be in a rough spot without him. Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Noah Syndergaard, and Kyle Gibson must carry the load until Zack returns.
According to Phillies’ general manager Dave Dombrowski, the injury isn’t thought to be overly serious, and Wheeler will hopefully suit up for their game against the Marlins on September 6th.
