CLEARWATER, Fla. – Zack Wheeler kept the rib.
It’s not unusual for patients to keep mementos from their surgeries, including teeth, kidney stones and metal implants. More than a few pitchers have bone spurs and ribs at home. Wheeler is no different. He had thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September, which required the removal of the first rib near his right shoulder.
Afterward, the doctor gifted Wheeler his rib in a bag. It is neatly preserved, sitting in a case in a closet in Wheeler’s home.
“You have to do a bunch of stuff to it, so I guess it doesn’t decay,” Wheeler said.
Perhaps it becomes a symbol for what Wheeler and the Phillies hope will be a great comeback story for one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers. Wheeler was in contention for the NL Cy Young Award last season, when he developed a season-ending blood clot near his throwing shoulder in August. He had surgery to remove the clot two days later.
A little more than a month after that, he had the rib removed.
Wheeler spoke on Wednesday at BayCare Ballpark for the first time since the surgery.
“It is encouraging, the progress so far,” he said.
Recovery from TOS surgery is typically six to eight months. Everything is going well, but Wheeler will not be ready by Opening Day on March 26 against Texas at Citizens Bank Park.
This should not surprise or alarm anybody. There is no reason to rush back Wheeler.
Still, Wheeler’s return could be closer to the six-month mark than the eight-month mark.
“Hopefully,” Wheeler said. “That's one of my goals, is to come back as soon as I can. But at the same time, it's checking off those boxes to make sure the arm is strong enough. … I'm missing Opening Day, so there's no need to rush back and try to come back a week after that.
“You want to be back, but you also don't want to rush it at the same time.”
In a typical spring, Wheeler would have thrown off the mound a few times by the time Phillies pitchers and catchers held their first official workout on Wednesday. Right now, he is playing catch from 90 feet.
Wheeler isn’t sure how long it will take before he throws off a mound again. But he is confident he will return to form whenever he does.
“I think any athlete, you have surgery, you’re optimistic about it,” Wheeler said. “You always have that good mindset where you’re going to come back and be the same. That’s kind of been my mindset the whole time. I’m going to be back to where I was, and I think that’s the right mindset to have.”
If Wheeler returns to form, the Phillies should once again have one of baseball’s best rotations with Wheeler and 2025 NL Cy Young runner-up Cristopher Sánchez at the top, with Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Andrew Painter (MLB Pipeline's No. 28 overall prospect) and Taijuan Walker behind.
Wheeler went 69-37 with a 2.91 ERA in his first six seasons with the Phillies. He finished second for the NL Cy Young Award in 2021 and ’24. His 2.18 ERA in the postseason is the sixth best in MLB history (minimum nine postseason starts).
A Cy Young-caliber Wheeler – whenever he returns – would ease a lot of minds, both in the front office and among the fan base.
“I’m sure there’s speed bumps that you’re going to hit along the way with any surgery or recovery,” Wheeler said. “So, you just take day by day the things as they come and go, just trying to hit my check marks. We’re really just trying to make sure the arm strength is there every phase that we get to and then move on to the next one. So far, so good.
“Now, I feel pretty much normal.”