CLEARWATER, Fla. – Maybe Zack Wheeler will be back in the Phillies' rotation sooner than later.
He said he felt good following Thursday’s bullpen session at BayCare Ballpark. It was his first since having thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September. Friday, standing in front of his locker, Wheeler expressed optimism about his recovery and return.
“There’s been years where I came [to Spring Training] and I’m basically at where I’m at right now,” he said. “It’s a little different, but at the same time I’m not too far behind.”
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that Wheeler’s bullpen on Thursday could mark the beginning of a six-week ramp-up to “possibly” make him big league game-ready by the end of it.
Asked about that six-week ramp-up, Wheeler said, “That’s what it looks like.”
Six weeks from Thursday is April 9.
It doesn’t mean it will happen, of course. Wheeler has a long way to go.
“I don’t even know when my next bullpen is,” he said.
But Wheeler said he threw at 80-85 percent effort in his 21-pitch bullpen session, throwing four-seam and two-seam fastballs.
“I felt good, I felt smooth, natural,” he said.
In past springs, Wheeler said sometimes he had thrown off a mound four to five times before he got to camp. Sometimes he hadn’t thrown off a mound once.
“It depends how I came out of the year before,” he said.
Wheeler said he doesn’t know if he will pitch in a Grapefruit League game or a Minor League game before the end of camp on March 23.
But it shouldn’t sound any alarms if he doesn’t. The Phillies have said they will not push Wheeler, considering his importance to the team. When Wheeler is healthy, he is one of the game’s best pitchers, and one of the best postseason performers in baseball history. Wheeler has said he won’t rush back, either.
But he also said he won’t go slow just to go slow.
“If I’m ready to go, I’m ready to go,” Wheeler said. “I don’t think I have any problem when October comes usually. So, I don’t think this year is different than any other year, trying to preserve.”