Phillies get incredible Zack Wheeler update as return to MLB might be sooner than expected
Zack Wheeler is making incredible progress in his return to the rotation.
Phillies get incredible Zack Wheeler update as return to MLB might be sooner than expected originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Philadelphia Phillies have plenty of storylines entering the 2026 MLB season, but none might be more interesting than that of Zack Wheeler.
Recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome, Wheeler missed the final month and a half of the 2025 season, and entering 2026, he's expected to miss roughly a month. However, a recent report from The Athletic's Matt Gelb states that Wheeler is scheduled for a rehab start this Saturday already, which might have the Phillies ace ready to come back even sooner than initially thought. Phillies get great Zack Wheeler update with rehab start "Things are going so well that the Phillies will put Zack Wheeler on an official rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Three innings," Gelb reports. This is some incredible news for the Phillies. While Wheeler is still a ways away from a return, this rehab start is a fantastic step in the right direction.
The same day as this announcement, Wheeler had his first outing in a live game. That game clearly went well, as this decision from the Phillies wouldn't have come otherwise. Wheeler is a 35-year-old right-hander who is entering his 12th season in the Majors, and his seventh with the Phillies.