‘It's a nightmare': Top prospect sizes up Zack Wheeler in rehab opener originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The question is no longer if or when. It’s how.
How effective will Zack Wheeler be when he returns from thoracic outlet syndrome?
If Saturday against the Toledo Mud Hens was any indication …
So far, so good.
Wheeler began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and the 35-year-old ace turned in an as-advertised, three-inning, 38-pitch outing at Coca Cola Park.
The weather was far from ideal for any pitcher — especially one who hadn’t thrown in competitive action in 225 days — but the most important part was clear, Wheeler walked off healthy and felt strong afterward.
“Obviously, it felt good,” Wheeler said. “At the end of the day, I wanted to focus on coming out healthy. That’s really all that mattered to me.”
Wheeler threw 38 pitches, 26 for strikes, with six swinging strikes. He worked through a full mix, but the cold clearly impacted the feel of the ball — and, by extension, the velocity. His fastball sat around 92 mph and topped out at 94.3.
That line looks like a rehab start. From the box, it didn’t.
Tigers outfielder Max Clark — MLB’s No. 10 prospect — faced Wheeler twice and got a quick reminder of why Wheeler’s at-bats don’t feel normal when he’s right.
“He’s a big extension guy and he’s got a low release, so the heater plays up,” Clark, who went 0-for-1 against Wheeler, said. “And then the sweeper’s a moneymaker. He made me look like a fool on a couple of them early. … He’s obviously one of the best in the game, so he can do a little bit of everything, and they’re all pretty elite.”
Even with Wheeler still building, Clark’s read was simple: the baseline is already tough.
“He was 93, up to 94 today,” Clark said. “And I can’t imagine what he’s like when he’s 96 to 98. … It’s a nightmare.”
Another factor on Saturday: Wheeler said he’s still down about 10 pounds, something he’s trying to build back up as he ramps.
It’s also important to remember Wheeler is still on schedule for this type of procedure. Venous/vascular thoracic outlet decompression has produced better return-to-play outcomes than neurogenic or arterial cases, which tend to be harder to come back from.
There are success stories on the vascular side. Phillies offseason acquisition Brad Keller has been through it. So have Mike Foltynewicz, Alex Cobb and Wheeler’s former teammate Dillon Gee.
On the other end, Wheeler has seen tougher outcomes up close, too. Another former teammate, Matt Harvey, was never the same after a neurogenic procedure. And thoracic outlet issues ended longtime Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter’s career.
Wheeler has moved quickly through the early checkpoints, but understanding the different lanes of TOS is why there’s reason for optimism.
“I’m a realistic guy, so there are going to be ups and downs,” Wheeler said. “Everything’s not always going to be perfect. You kind of just have to take them as they come and just keep working.”
One part of the rehab that has hung over him is pitching out of the stretch.
In bullpens in Clearwater, Wheeler didn’t always look like himself with his command, and velocity has been a major focus, especially when he was simulating runners on base.
Saturday, he felt progress.
“A couple of guys told me I was a little bit higher out of the stretch, which was good because I’ve felt terrible [out of the stretch] so far throughout this process,” Wheeler said. “We made a little adjustment and today felt a lot better.”
The adjustment was something he found with pitching coach Caleb Cotham. Wheeler described it like a reminder — small, but meaningful.
“It was just something small, like my front foot,” Wheeler said. “Sometimes it’s just the small stuff you need to nail down as you build up.”
As for what felt best, Wheeler pointed to the splitter.
“The splitter, I was really happy with that today,” he said. “It was working really well.”
KERKERING DISPLAYS NEW WEAPON
Working his way back from a hamstring injury suffered in Spring Training, Orion Kerkering continues to build — and continues to experiment.
Kerkering featured his new splitter twice in a 1-2-3 inning, 10-pitch outing for Lehigh Valley. He looked sharp and, like Wheeler, healthy. It’s a pitch he’s trying to gain feel for in every sense.
“I think the last two weeks have probably been the best I’ve felt with it, the most comfortable with it,” Kerkering said.
Kerkering’s view is that the pitch is necessary — especially for lefties — and it can pair naturally off his sinker.
“Playing off the sinker in, sinker away, then split down off of it,” Kerkering said. “I think it’s going to play really well … against both lefties and righties.”
Kerkering also said the downtime has helped him take a step back and reassess how his full mix can play together. He’s leaned heavily on his sweeper — last season, he threw it 48 percent of the time, third-highest in MLB among pitchers with at least 50 innings.
That usage helped him limit hard contact when paired with his sinker and four-seamer. Kerkering ranked in the 98th percentile in hard-hit rate last season.
For now, the rehab focus is workload. The stuff is there. The question is how quickly he can check the reliever boxes.
“As relievers, you never know when you’re going to throw — back-to-backs, three appearances out of four games,” Kerkering said.
Without Kerkering, the Phillies’ bullpen lacks right-handed depth behind setup man Brad Keller and closer Jhoan Duran. Zach Pop and Jonathan Bowlan are among the arms trying to carve out roles in that mix.
Both Kerkering and Wheeler are still in the early stages, but the direction is clear. When they’re back at Citizens Bank Park, the ovations will be there — for different reasons, but both well-deserved.
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