Zack Wheeler Steps Closer to Resurgence After Significant Breakthrough!
Philadelphia Phillies' Zack Wheeler faced live hitters for the first time since his surgery.
Zack Wheeler said earlier in Spring Training that his rehab goal is to keep checking off boxes until he’s ready to get back in the Philadelphia Phillies rotation. The ace still has a ways to go, but he checked off another box and took a major step in his recovery process on Saturday. For the first time since Wheeler’s surgery, he faced hitters in a live bullpen session.
The right-handed pitcher threw around 20 pitches to hitter Otto Kemp, Rafael Marchan, and Garrett Stubbs. All in all, it was a successful workout for Wheeler, but he acknowledged that he still has a way to go. The Phillies pitcher doesn’t want to get ahead of himself or entertain the idea that he might be ahead of schedule in his rehab.
“I think I'm probably just on track,” said Wheeler after the session. “You guys know me by now. I really don’t try to get too excited about certain things, and like I said before, just kind of take it day by day.
” Jun 9, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) checks a runner agianst the Chicago Cubs in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Even after this outing, there are some areas that Wheeler knows he must continue to work on post-procedure. For example, his fastball velocity was reportedly in the 93 mph range.