It was a scary moment for Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend after the ace was diagnosed with a blood clot near his right shoulder. Now, the three-time All-Star is officially on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery on Monday.
“Right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler underwent a successful thrombolysis procedure to remove a blood clot in his right upper extremity this morning by Dr. Paul DiMuzio at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital,” the Phillies said in a statement. “Further treatment and a subsequent timeline of recovery for Wheeler is to be determined.”
Right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler underwent a successful thrombolysis procedure to remove a blood clot in his right upper extremity this morning by Dr. Paul DiMuzio at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 18, 2025
Further treatment and a subsequent timeline of recovery for Wheeler is to…
Following his Friday night start against the Washington Nationals, when he threw 97 pitches in five innings while giving up two earned runs on four hits, Wheeler reported “a little heaviness” near his pitching shoulder. Tests revealed a blood clot in his right upper extremity.
The shoulder issues began earlier this month. Wheeler first reported soreness following his Aug. 2 start against the Detroit Tigers. The Phillies pushed him back in the rotation for extra rest before he pitched against the Texas Rangers on Aug. 10, then made his latest start Friday.
During Friday’s game against the Nationals, Wheeler still had some command issues, but his velocity appeared back as he was hitting 96-97 mph.
Phillies head athletic trainer and director of medical services Paul Buchheit doesn’t believe the initial shoulder soreness was connected to the blood clot.
“It’s hard to say, but I don’t think so,” Buchheit told reporters over the weekend, including The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber. “In talking with our doctors, it’s maybe independent. There weren’t these type of symptoms prior, so I do think they’re independent.”
Before the diagnosis, Wheeler was a Cy Young favorite once again. In 24 starts, he posted a 2.71 ERA in 149 2/3 innings and was leading the National League in strikeouts (195), WHIP (0.935) and strikeouts per nine (11.7). He was also named to the All-Star team for the third time this year.
It’s unknown whether Wheeler will return this season, but if he’s placed on blood thinners, a comeback becomes highly unlikely.
Wheeler is the third prominent athlete to suffer blood clots this year. NBA stars Victor Wembanyama missed the rest of the season after being diagnosed in February, while Damian Lillard missed about a month before returning for the playoffs in April.
