Jul 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) gets anew baseball after allowing a home run to Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran (16) during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
When the Phillies lost ace starting pitcher Zack Wheeler in mid-August last season due to thoracic outlet syndrome, manager Rob Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spoke of the "next man up" approach that has become so popular in sports over the past few years.
Monday, the two revealed that Wheeler probably won't be ready for opening day when the season begins on March 26, but that he is recovering very well and they are optimistic of his being available not long thereafter.
But even when the team does get a healthy Wheeler, what will the starting rotation look like? Lefties Christopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo are givens, as is veteran Aaron Nola. The hope is that Andrew Painter will round into the form that he was exhibiting before Tommy John surgery. But what's after that? It's a huge question as the team will gather in Clearwater later this week.
"He did not. He's only at the 90-foot phase still," said Thomson when asked if Wheeler threw off the mound recently. "He threw on Saturday. They said it was very good. I didn't see it, but they say it was very good. We're still plugging along. It all depends on his strength and that type of thing. All that said, he's doing well.
Rob Thomson told reporters that he does not think that Zack Wheeler will be ready for Opening Day, but should be ready shortly after that.
Wheeler underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgery towards the end of last season. pic.twitter.com/DDxh6LZ8Rc
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 9, 2026
"I don't think he'll be ready for opening day, but it's not going to be too far behind that. The doctors and the trainers are going to dictate when he gets up on the mound, when he can start seeing hitters, when he can start building up his workload to get into games. We're waiting on clearance and it's all based on strength and things like that. He's doing fine. We're not going to push him. He's far too important to our club for us to push him and then have a setback and we're behind the eight ball."
Just how early and what can realistically be expected from Wheeler, who will turn 36 in May, is the wild card here. Because even if he can come back and stay healthy, the team would like to have another starter on the roster at some point.
Taijuan Walker is still a possibility and Walker Buehler, who started a couple of games for the team last season, is available to sign. Whoever, it is a point of emphasis for Dombrowski.
"It's one of the things that we'll have a focus on at this time," he said. "I don't think that it will be long that he'll be ready, assuming he won't be ready for opening day. That's one of our focuses, as it is. There's a lot of starting pitchers that are still unsigned at this time. I don't know where this is going for sure but I do think this is going to be a winter ... or spring ... where you continue to have more trade conversations than you normally do during spring training just because of the late developing signing of players which puts a focus on movement for other players when somebody signed.
"When our scouts go out there, that will be one of our focus. We may develop that internally, too. There are guys that we like. That will be a focus of ours, the starting pitching depth."
In his Cy Young runner-up season last year, Sanchez set career-highs in starts (32), innings pitched (202) and strikeouts (212). Luzardo won a career-best 15 games while throwing his most innings for a season (183.2), and Nola missed more than three months with a pair of injuries.
The team got part of what they wanted from Painter at Lehigh Valley last season, and that was to just get through each start and gain strength and confidence in his first year back after Tommy John surgery. Add in the injury to Wheeler and there are some legitimate questions about the durability the starters may have this coming season.
Wheeler was on his way to another terrific season before his injury was found after a series of tests. In 24 starts, the righthander posted a 10-5 record, averaged more than six innings per start, a 2.71 ERA and a 0.935 WHIP. If those numbers can be promised to the Phillies for this upcoming season, certainly Thomson and Dombrowski would take them.
Time will tell.
