Phillies' Zack Wheeler has shaky start in second rehab appearance
While Zack Wheeler had himself a night in his first rehab outing, the same couldn't be said for his second appearance in the minor leagues.
Phillies' Zack Wheeler has shaky start in second rehab appearance originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . While the Philadelphia Phillies have started to get into the swing of things, posting a record of 4-3 through Friday night’s action, they’ve had to do it without one of their key players.
Given that Zack Wheeler had the procedure done to remove his blood clot so late in the 2025 season, it wasn’t a guarantee that he’d see any action early on in 2026, which has been a reality for the Phillies, having to work on a shortened rotation. This hasn’t meant that the three-time All-Star hasn’t been working his way back on the field, as he threw multiple sessions for Philadelphia’s time in Clearwater, as well as taking to the mound for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate in late March. In his first rehab start, Wheeler took to the mound for three innings of action, throwing a total of 38 pitches, striking out three batters in the process, while allowing two hits and a walk.
Wheeler’s shaky second start That three-inning outing wouldn’t be the only rehab start for the former Cy Young candidate, as he took to the mound on Friday night when the Iron Pigs took on the Durham Bulls. To put it simply, this start wouldn’t go as smoothly as his first rehab appearance. Jacob Melton BLASTS a three-run shot off rehabbing Zack Wheeler 😳 #RaysUp pic.
twitter. com/VIAFX2a7Bt — Milb Central (@milb_central) April 3, 2026 The 35-year-old got through the first two innings without any trouble, throwing a total of 22 pitches, but things would get dicey in the third. In the bottom frame of the third inning, Wheeler would allow a total of five runs up, as Durham’s Raynel Delgado would have an extra-base hit that would bring in two runs, while Jacob Melton would smash a three-run home run against the Phillies ace.