Phillies Skipper Makes Zack Wheeler Vow After Injury Update

The Philadelphia Phillies appear resigned to essentially run back the same roster that disappointed in the playoffs last year.

The team did make a strong push to bring in a notable new star as it offered a long-term contract to star infield free agent Bo Bichette, but those overtures ultimately fell flat.

“It’s a gut punch. I mean, you feel it,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said after Bichette rejected his contract offer to join the New York Mets instead, according to MLB.com’s Paul Casella. “That day, you are very — upset, I guess is the way to say it. But you have to pick yourself up and shake it off, because you can’t just wallow in what took place.”

The Phillies pivoted to a reunion with veteran catcher JT Realmuto, further solidifying the sense that the team is returning with most of its star core back and looking to make a deeper playoff run next season.

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Philadelphia Phillies Offer Update On Zack Wheeler’s Injury

But if the Phillies are really going to “run it back” with their veteran stars, they’ll still need to hope for a healthy return from franchise ace Zack Wheeler, which is far from a guarantee.

“Wheeler was 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA, and was the Phillies’ top of the rotation ace, last season before the discovery of his blood clot and the immediately scheduled removal of it sidelined him indefinitely in August,” Nick Tricome wrote for PhillyVoice. “Wheeler was struggling with a dip in velocity before the diagnosis of his blood clot, and even though he’s working his way back, there are no guarantees that he’ll return in his former Cy Young-level form, especially as he enters his late 30s.”

The Phillies have indicated that Wheeler is progressing well from his offseason procedure, but they haven’t put a formal timetable on his return. And until he steps onto a major-league mound, it’s unclear exactly how he’ll bounce back from the time off.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Rob Thomson Promises That Zack Wheeler Will Return Early And Effective

But that didn’t stop Phillies manager Rob Thomson from making a pronouncement about the superstar pitcher on Wednesday.

“We got Zack Wheeler coming back,” Thomson said during an address to the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association, per a video of the speech shared by OnPattison. “He’s going to be back early in the season, he’s going to be pitching well again.”

That could be merely some wishful thinking from the skipper, or it could be informed by the workouts and progress Thomson has seen up close. Either way, Phillies fans will be taking it as a good sign as the team counts on an effective return from Wheeler and at least one more season of essentially running it back.