2025 Injury Report: Updates on Bichette, Nootbaar, Wheeler

The 2025 World Series shifts to Dodger Stadium on October 27. Toronto, tied 1-1 heading into Game 3, will have Bo Bichette available for Game 3. Looking ahead to 2026, the Phillies are optimistic regarding Zack Wheeler’s early-season availability.

Bichette will play in Game 3

The Blue Jays confirmed that infielder Bo Bichette will start Game 3 after Toronto opted not to start him in Game 2 of the World Series.

Bichette was pulled for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who pinch ran for the former in the Jays’ nine-run sixth inning, in Game 1. He didn’t start Game 2 but did come in a pinch hitter for Kiner-Falefa in the seventh inning.

Manager John Schneider stated on the 26th that Bichette felt good after Game 2 and worked out. Schneider believes that with each day, the Blue Jays infielder is getting closer to normal.

It would be Bichette’s second start in a game since early September.

Nootbaar could miss start of 2026

Moving to news from this past weekend, Cardinals baseball ops president Chaim Bloom stated to KMOX that Lars Nootbaar may not be ready for Opening Day 2026. The organization does not intend to rush the recovery for him.

Nootbaar had surgery to correct Haglund’s deformities on both of his heels. He was one of several Cardinals players to require offseason surgery. Ivan Herrera, as noted by the team in September, needed elbow surgery, while Brendan Donovan — who missed time late in the year — required hernia surgery.

Wheeler trending up

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski stated last week that Zack Wheeler is not feeling any pain, weeks out of his recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.

Dombrowksi believed that, given how his recovery has gone so far, Wheeler could be available as early as Opening Day 2026.

Wheeler had surgery late in the summer after he was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome.