ATLANTA -- Zack Wheeler’s first pitch in the big leagues in 253 days crackled at 95 mph.
He couldn’t help but read the velocity on a board behind home plate.
“Cool,” he said.
“The man is back,” catcher Rafael Marchán said.
Wheeler made his highly anticipated 2026 debut on Saturday night against the Braves at Truist Park. He delivered an encouraging performance during the Phillies' 8-5 victory in 10 innings, which should buoy the spirits of a team that snapped a soul-sucking 10-game losing streak that put manager Rob Thomson and others on the hot seat.
“Once you get up here, it’s a different game,” Wheeler said. “The adrenaline’s going. Things matter. And, you know, we lost 10 games in a row. I mean, you’ve just gotta go out there and just do it.”
Wheeler had thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September, following a season-ending blood clot near his right shoulder in August. He had a rib removed. He lost 10 pounds following the procedure, which he still hasn’t regained.
Nobody knew what Wheeler would look like on Saturday, especially with his velocity down in five rehab starts.
Even Wheeler wondered if he’d be the same pitcher again.
But he showed flashes of his Cy Young-caliber self in five innings, allowing three hits, two runs and three walks and striking out six. His four-seam fastball averaged 95.5 mph in the first inning and 94.7 mph overall after touching 94.3 mph and averaging 92.9 mph during his rehab assignment.
“He rose to the occasion,” Thomson said.
Wheeler struck out Ronald Acuña Jr. swinging on a 96.5 mph fastball to start his outing. It was his hardest pitch of the night.
“The heater was pumping, the way that it used to be,” Marchán said.
Wheeler struck out Drake Baldwin swinging on a 1-2 curveball for his second out.
Wheeler threw 35 pitches in his first three innings as the Phillies took a 1-0 lead. He got 15 swings and misses. He looked good.
“We lost 10 games in a row, and I’m the next guy up,” Wheeler said. “Obviously, I want to stop it. That’s always kind of been my thing over the years. If we are in a little slump, I want to be the stopper. Even if it’s two games in a row, I want to be that guy. I love being in that situation, and I take pride in it.”
Wheeler got into trouble in a 36-pitch fourth inning, the most pitches he had thrown in a frame since July 29, 2024, against the Yankees (37 pitches, fifth inning). He walked the first two batters he faced. Ozzie Albies then reached on an infield single to load the bases with no outs.
Wheeler allowed two runs to tie the game, but it could have been worse. Fortunately for him, he struck out Mauricio Dubón and Mike Yastrzemski looking to end the inning.
“I’m not going to lie, I was a little tired,” Wheeler said. “I was treading water out there.”
But he threw just 13 pitches in a clean fifth inning. He left the game with a 3-2 lead.
“He looked like Zack Wheeler,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “That’s impressive.”
“He’s got that elevated heater that he throws really well,” Bryce Harper said. “And each guy that got to first base said the same thing.”
Tanner Banks allowed three consecutive hits to start the sixth and hand the Braves a one-run lead. The Phillies tied the game in the eighth, then scored four runs in the 10th. Harper’s two-run single gave Philadelphia the lead. Brandon Marsh’s two-run single provided insurance.
Afterward, the Phillies shook hands on the field. They hadn’t done that since April 13.
So, yeah, they enjoyed it.
“Slapping hands and slapping butts,” Harper said.
The Phillies need to keep it going. They face another challenge on Sunday against Braves left-hander Chris Sale.
It won’t be easy, but whatever happens in the series finale, at least Philadelphia knows it has Wheeler back.
“You think about this moment,” Wheeler said. “Me, I just want to get it over with. Just keep moving on. Just the anxiety part of it. So yeah, I’m glad it’s done. Especially when you come out of the game. You get that weight off your shoulders. It’s just the unknown going into it. You never know. You hear a lot of bad stories when stuff happens. You don’t hear a lot of good.”
So Wheeler thanked his wife, Dominique, and his four children. He thanked Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit, who worked with him throughout the offseason. He thanked his teammates and everybody else who played a role in his recovery.
“Keeping me feeling welcomed and feeling important, I guess,” Wheeler said. “I don’t know the right word. But they were all happy for me after this game, and that means a lot to me.”