Kyle Schwarber Sends Message After Phillies Star’s Season-Ending News

"Obviously, as a whole, it hurts as a team," the designated hitter said. "We're going to have to come together even more as a group, because that's a big hole to fill. But I feel like we're going to have guys who step up."

Schwarber has pulled his weight this season, as he's second in baseball with 45 homers, first with 109 RBI, and third with a .946 OPS over 129 games. However, he and the first-place Phillies must play even better than they've already been to make up for this loss.

Phillies Must Recreate Zack Wheeler in the Aggregate

"Recreate in the aggregate" is a phrase popularized by a scene in the 2011 film "Moneyball," when the Oakland Athletics' front office discussed contingency plans after losing star slugger Jason Giambi to injury in 2002. They used the phrase to explain that they needed smaller contributions from a large number of players to replace his production.

Unlike the "Moneyball" Athletics, though, the Phillies have several other stars. Schwarber, first baseman Bryce Harper, shortstop Trea Turner, and southpaw pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (11-4, 2.46 ERA) are all key pieces who could help Philadelphia make up for Wheeler's absence.

However, one of the most important players in this equation is right-hander Aaron Nola (2-7, 6.52 ERA). The veteran is having his worst-ever season, but he had his first quality start on Saturday since returning from ankle and rib injuries that kept him out from May until August. He came back on August 17, allowing six runs in 2.1 innings against the Nationals.

On Saturday, Nola faced Washington again and coughed up just two runs in six frames. If the 6-foot-2-inch, 200-pounder keeps pitching like that, he could be the difference between the Phillies winning the World Series or not.