Zack Wheeler, a perennial National League Cy Young contender and ace pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, has been diagnosed with a blood clot in his right upper extremity. The 35-year-old had been dealing with shoulder pain in recent outings, but the severity of the issue was only revealed on Saturday.
Wheeler’s teammates, including slugger Kyle Schwarber, expressed concern for their teammate’s health and well-being. “It’s a scary situation,” Schwarber said. “Baseball is secondary to someone’s health. We want him healthy first.”
Manager Rob Thomson also emphasized that Wheeler’s family is the top priority at the moment. “We don’t know the timeline,” Thomson said. “I’m thinking a lot about Zack and his family because this is not a hamstring injury or something like that.”
Wheeler had an impressive season, with a 10-5 record and 2.71 ERA in 24 starts, leading all pitchers across the majors with 195 strikeouts. However, his long-term health takes precedence over returning for any big game.
The Phillies will need to make a significant effort from their rotation to fill Wheeler’s void, but for now, his well-being is the main concern.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/phillies-kyle-schwarber-speaks-scary-injury-cy-young-contender-2114684