After missing the action for six months, one particular Phillies ace feels like himself again. He is pitching against live hitters to show resilience. He even felt like he was going in the right direction, slowly upping the ante. However, the club might not take the risk of having him on the mound this early after his TOS.

“I felt really good out of the windup,” Zack Wheeler said after his second live bullpen of the spring. 

His first was a 20-pitch inning on March 14 this year after returning from surgery. On March 18, he faced hitters like Edmundo Sosa, Brandon Marsh, and Justin Crawford over two innings. 

“Just a little tough out of the stretch today for whatever reason,” said Wheeler after his second day of practice. “In my bullpens, I’ve been a little wacky out of the stretch. But it felt better than that, so we’re going in the right direction.”

What happened? Well, the Philadelphia Phillies ace went through two major procedures in 2025 to address his health complications. 

He had a thrombolysis on August 18 to remove the blood clot in his right arm. Then he had a Thoracic Outlet Decompression on September 23. Surgeons removed the first rib near his right shoulder to decompress the area. And his venous TOS ended the remainder of his first season. 

Wheeler renewed his contract with the Phillies with a three-year, $126 million deal in 2025. 

Now he is able to deliver from the windup and the stretch. And Scott Lauber reported that he has a good mix as well, including fastballs, curveballs, sweepers, and splitters. But his progress alone might not determine a spot in the roster on Opening Day. 

The RHP sounded uncertain when asked if he would be back in the spring training game soon. “You’re asking the wrong person,” said Wheeler. “Maybe. You have to ask the higher-ups.”

A TOS recovery generally takes 9-10 months, but MLB has numerous examples of pitchers rejoining the camps in 6-8 months. Plus, Zack Wheeler had a venous TOS, which has a more predictable recovery time. 

Bennett Sousa from the Houston Astros returned in about 8 months after his surgery in early 2024. Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks is often seen as the best case scenario for TOS recovery. He started 27 games in 2021 after just 7 months of his surgery.

However, Wheeler is about to complete 6 months next week. Despite his progress, the Phillies might consider it risky to have him on the mound this soon. 

Phillies remain cautious on Zack Wheeler’s return to the roster

As of now, Wheeler is approximately 3 weeks behind the normal spring ramp. Healthy pitchers start throwing in early February, and Philadelphia is already evaluating the roster scenario. They suffered a 2-3 loss to the Braves, where top prospect Andrew Painter started with four scoreless innings. 

However, manager Rob Thomson said they are still “undecided” when asked about Wheeler’s return. According to Lauber, the Phillies are intentionally avoiding committing to a return timetable for the ace. 

The best possible scenario for Zack Wheeler seems to be a minor league game before Opening Day. Consequently, he can work under a pitch clock to test his full pitch mix. Moreover, Wheeler believes it will be a tougher challenge as it will test his execution and adaptability. 

“If we were to face minor-league guys, they’re always super, super aggressive, so that’s just a whole different game,” said Wheeler. “I’d probably get whacked. We always do. It’s never fun. Anyway, yeah, it is a little different.”

It will paint a clearer picture regarding the ace’s possibilities. 

Cristopher Sánchez is the projected Opening Day starter for the Phillies. Jesús Luzardo, with a five-year, $135 million extension, is also a good option. Veteran RHP Aaron Nola is scheduled to start from the second game after his recovery. 

With a strong bullpen available in the early season, the Phillies need not rush on Zack Wheeler. Even if he proves to be game-ready, the club might take it slow to avoid further complications for the ace.