Just as the Philadelphia Phillies looked like they had the pedal to the metal and were cruising to another deep postseason run, they've hit a major pothole. With the news that ace starting pitcher Zack Wheeler will be out for the rest of the season due to having surgery to remove a blood clot, the Phils lost the most important piece of their rotation.
"The recommendation is to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks," the Phillies organization said in a statement regarding Wheeler's condition. "Details of the surgery are forthcoming."
Before this unfortunate turn of events, Zack Wheeler was 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA and 195 strikeouts across 149 2/3 innings and was a definite Cy Young Award candidate. Now his season is over, and there are even some questions as to whether the right-hander will return to baseball at all.
Earlier this season, Wheeler made it known that he was considering retiring after his current contract expires in 2027. With this latest turn of events, the 37-year-old might elect to just walk away from the game for good.
Now, the Phillies will be counting on veterans like Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez to step up and try to replace Wheeler's pitching production. However, the club could also get some help from an intriguing call-up... if they choose to act on it.
Philadelphia's top prospect is right-handed starter Andrew Painter, who was drafted in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He's the No. 10 prospect in baseball and underwent Tommy John surgery last year, but has returned to form in 2025. He's only 4-5 this year with Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley, but he's struck out 87 batters in 86 1/3 innings pitched. The 22-year-old prospect has a frontline MLB arm and could be an asset down the stretch if the team chooses to call him up on September 1.
In the meantime, Philadelphia still holds a comfortable six-game lead over the New York Mets, who they will face in a three-game road series, August 25-27. A sweep in Gotham could essentially lock down the NL East and allow the Phils to find some answers in their starting rotation.
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