The Philadelphia Phillies’ starting rotation has been among the best in baseball this season, and Zack Wheeler is leading the way.
Wheeler’s last start was pushed back, but he was able to start on Sunday against the Texas Rangers. His start was pushed back due to shoulder discomfort, and Wheeler noted that he had been dealing with it for “a while,” according to MLB.com’s Paul Casella.
Wheeler’s fastest pitch on Sunday, a four-seam fastball, clocked in at 95.5 mph, per Baseball Savant. His average velocity on that pitch this season is 96.1 mph. Wheeler spoke on the drop in velocity after the game.
“I’m not concerned,” Wheeler said, per The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes. “I’ve pitched at that velo before. It will come back.”
Wheeler has a 2.68 ERA in 23 starts this year. He also has a league-leading 189 strikeouts, and if his injury is something that is going to linger, it could directly affect the Phillies’ World Series dreams. However, manager Rob Thomson also did not express too much concern.
“I’m not concerned,” Thomson said, per Varnes. “They’re working at some stuff, and he just looks a little bit out of sync. The velocity’s not there, but his secondary stuff was good. He got a lot of whiffs.”
Wheeler finished the game with seven strikeouts, three walks and allowed just two earned runs. However, it was just the fifth time all season he had issued more than two walks, and it was tied for his shortest outing of the year.
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