The Philadelphia Phillies have widened their lead over the New York Mets atop the National League East after sweeping the Texas Rangers. However, their postseason hopes may hinge on the health of ace . The team raised concerns by delaying his most recent start due to shoulder discomfort. Top star did pitch against Texas, but his velocity was down, his control faltered, and he made uncharacteristic mistakes.
After the game, he said he felt fine, though he admitted the shoulder issue has been bothering him “for a while,” according to MLB.com’s Paul Casella. Despite the discomfort, top star has posted an impressive 2.68 ERA in 23 starts this season. Still, recent outings have shown signs of trouble — allowing two earned runs over five innings, three earned runs over six innings in his previous start, and four earned runs in under six innings against the Yankees before that.
Both Wheeler and manager Rob Thomson expressed confidence he will regain top form, attributing his recent struggles to mechanical timing issues rather than injury. Wheeler noted that it’s common for pitchers to have stretches where their stuff isn’t at its best and said his will “come back around.” Still, his acknowledgment of a lingering shoulder problem suggests a possible physical factor behind the dip in performance.