Rob Thomson Announces Zack Wheeler News Before Phillies-Nationals Game

Fortunately for Philadelphia, Wheeler remains on track to return to the rotation soon. He had been throwing throughout spring training, and the only reason he opened the year on the IL was because he was not fully built up.

Wheeler made his first rehab appearance this past Saturday, completing three innings of work. Ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the Nationals, manager Rob Thomson announced the next steps, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

Wheeler’s second outing will come Friday, when he is expected to throw 50 to 55 pitches and work four innings. After that, he will make a third rehab start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Once that outing is complete, the Phillies will reassess whether he needs a fourth rehab appearance. That leaves open the possibility that Wheeler could return before the end of April.

This is significant for the Phillies, who were unsure whether Wheeler would fully recover from such a serious procedure. Historically, pitchers have struggled to return from this type of injury, but Wheeler has shown steady progress.

Before going down last year, he remained at the peak of his powers. The 35‑year‑old veteran made 24 starts in 2025 and posted a 2.71 ERA with 195 strikeouts in 149 2/3 innings.

He was firmly in the National League Cy Young conversation and earned his third career All‑Star selection thanks to his dominant first half.

Wheeler is under contract through the 2027 season on his three‑year $126 million extension and has previously mentioned he plans to retire once the deal expires. With the Phillies competitive window tied closely to his availability, his progress represents one of the most encouraging developments early this year.