Aug 1, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler walks in from the outfield at Citizens Bank Park. (Grace Del Pizzo/On Pattison)
A week after revealing he had a right upper extremity blood clot, the Phillies announced what had appeared obvious in recent days — Zack Wheeler's 2025 season is over.
Update on Zack Wheeler.
[image or embed]— Tim Kelly (@timkellysports.bsky.social) August 23, 2025 at 2:55 PM
According to trainer Paul Buchheit, Wheeler saw three different doctors after having the clot removed on Monday — "the leaders in the industry on this topic," per Buchheit — and they were unanimous in their belief that Wheeler needed to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery.
Wheeler will undergo the procedure to correct his venous thoracic outlet syndrome "in the coming weeks," per the team. The recovery timeline is between six and eight months, so it's entirely possible Wheeler isn't ready for the beginning of the 2026 season. It's possible he could begin throwing as soon as eight weeks after the surgery, but that varies per person. (It will also be the offseason by that point, so it might not make sense to be throwing again that quickly.)
The three-time All-Star is under contract through the 2027 season, but something this serious could cause an athlete and his family to reconsider things. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Saturday, though, that Wheeler is committed to continuing to pitch.
"For sure," Dombrowski said. "[He] plans on having the surgery and going from there."
Dave Dombrowksi said that Zack Wheeler — who is under contract through 2027 — is committed to continuing his career.
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/UKhg9nns4j
Manager Rob Thomson — who admitted he's been operating like Wheeler wouldn't return this season — expressed relief regarding the ace's health.
"I think I found out a little bit more last night, and he's healthy," Thomson said. "It's disappointing to lose him, but we have a lot of depth here. I love our club. So the six to eight-month recovery was encouraging to me."
But what does the future hold for Wheeler once he returns from this procedure? Since joining the Phillies in 2020, Wheeler's 28.7 WAR comfortably leads all starting pitchers, per FanGraphs. Are the days of Wheeler's peak over?
"Well, he'll miss this season," Dombrowski said. "But figure he'll come back in the six to eight-month time period and come back and be the Zack Wheeler of old. That's what we've been told. Unless something unanticipated happens, he'll be able to come back and pitch like he has before this."
That may very well be what doctors have told Wheeler and the Phillies, and it's possible it happens. But he's also a 35-year-old power pitcher that's logged over 1,700 career innings. For him to have still been pitching like a Cy Young contender this deep into his career was already an upset. Maybe this is one injury and he comes back and continues to pitch at a high level in his mid-30s like Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer. But Wheeler is about the same age that Roy Halladay when he went from the best pitcher in baseball to finished in the sport in a hurry. Cliff Lee's final season — in which he made only 13 starts — was his age-35 season. Even if Wheeler is going to return in some form, it's fair to wonder if he'll be the same guy. If not, the Phillies didn't ultimately wind up turning one of the greatest peaks in franchise history into a title.
Dave Dombrowksi said that Zack Wheeler — who is under contract through 2027 — is committed to continuing his career.
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/UKhg9nns4j
Of course, the 2025 season will go on for the Phillies, who enter their matchup with the Washington Nationals leading the NL East with a 74-54 record. In a year without an obvious World Series favorite, their championship hopes are hardly dashed. Cristopher Sánchez is a legitimate ace, and depending upon how Jesús Luzardo, Ranger Suárez and Aaron Nola pitch the remainder of the season, the Phillies could still enter the postseason with one of the best rotations.
"Well, of course, it's never good to lose a Zack Wheeler, you're No. 1 pitcher," Dombrowski acknowledged. "I think we have starting pitching depth that's capable of pitching well for us. Again, you're never gonna replace an individual like that. ... I've been in all different types of scenarios with pitchers being out. We have a good ballclub, and we'll be looking for other people to step up and pick up the slack for us."
For much of this season, the Phillies were overly-reliant on their starting rotation. It's still probably the strength of the team, but other areas have stepped up. The bullpen — even if José Alvarado won't be eligible for the postseason — is much better with the additions of Jhoan Duran and David Robertson. Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott and Max Kepler have all hit much better of late.
One of the blessings and the curses for athletes is that the sport always goes on. It's a blessing because when one guy goes down, it opens the door for others to step into larger roles. It's a curse because eventually, the sport will go on without you. In this case, as much as losing Wheeler surely burns, the Phillies' goals haven't changed.
"Yeah, I think it's disappointing," Thomson said. "But I think everybody knows it's out of our control. We're happy that he's gonna be healthy, because it's a very serious thing that he went through.
"I think, they're baseball players. They kinda move on," Thomson added. "We got a game today, and they're not gonna cancel it. And we got another game tomorrow, so we just gotta keep moving forward."
