Phillies Nuggets: Here's the latest on Zack Wheeler as he gets set for fourth rehab outing

PHILADELPHIA — As it turns out, Zack Wheeler is going to make at least two more rehab outings before returning to the Phillies.

The first of those will come Tuesday night in Somerset, NJ as Wheeler will toe the rubber for the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils. Rob Thomson said prior to Tuesday night's Chicago Cubs-Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park that Wheeler's pitch count this evening will be 75-80. The Phillies are hoping that he will get six ups, meaning he at least starts the sixth inning. 

While Wheeler was already slated to pitch again Sunday for Reading in Somerset, there previously appeared to be some wiggle room on that depending upon how the three-time All-Star looked in his latest rehab outing. But Thomson said Tuesday that Wheeler will indeed make that start on Sunday as well, seemingly regardless of how tonight's outing goes. 

Of course, this isn't legally binding. If Wheeler shoves tonight, the Phillies could change their mind, although listening to Thomson, it doesn't sound like they will. He even noted that Wheeler, in theory, could make one more rehab start after these two if he needs to. Wheeler began his rehab assignment on March 28, and can be on it for up to 30 days. 

"Well, it depends on how he feels, and how he feels about his stuff," Thomson said when asked why the third additional rehab outing could be necessary. "The last one was good. I was really encouraged by it, but we'll see." 

The 35-year-old right-hander is working his way back from both a blood clot and thoracic outlet decompression surgery, which ended his season last August. Wheeler has a 5.23 ERA across three rehab outings, but as Thomson noted, he is coming off of his best one yet, as he struck out six and allowed just one run over 4 1/3 innings against the Rochester Red Wings on April 8. 

The Nuggets

• The Phillies' rotation this weekend against the Atlanta Braves will be Taijuan Walker on Friday, Cristopher Sánchez on Saturday and Andrew Painter on Sunday. Sánchez will still be on normal rest because of the off day Thursday. Thomson said the thought process is to split up the two righties. This is just opinion, but it makes sense to split up Walker and Painter, arguably the two pitchers on the staff most likely to need bullpen length behind them right now. 

• Prior to Tuesday's game, the Phillies optioned RHP Seth Johnson to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Johnson gave up five runs — three of which were earned — across 1 2/3 innings pitched in Monday night's victory. 

• RHP Chase Shugart has been recalled to replace Johnson in the bullpen. Shugart, 29, has a 3.52 ERA and 4.56 FIP across 41 career big-league appearances, which were split between the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates. In five games for the IronPigs, Shugart had six strikeouts and a 1.80 ERA. 

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