Prior to being sidelined for the rest of the 2025 season due to venous thoracic outlet syndrome, a disorder that results in blood clots in the arms’ deep veins, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler was pitching like his usual Cy Young self, leading the majors at the time with a 10-5 record, a 2.71 earned run average, and 195 strikeouts.
Fortunately, there is some positive news regarding Wheeler’s recent operation to treat the disease.
It appears that Wheeler’s health and procedure won’t prevent him from enjoying any of 2026.
Wheeler Given Recovery Time of Six Months
Wheeler’s ailment, which Merrill Kelly had previously experienced and which reappeared six months after the procedure, had some beneficial aspects, according to Dean Donahue, director of the thoracic outlet syndrome department at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“That’s just the expectation for all of us that take care of this,” Donahue told Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic after the ace had fully recovered. “It does not guarantee that it will occur. The human body and surgery are obviously involved, and recovery isn’t always predictable. However, the ability to resume full function is by far the expectation.
Even though the specifics of his rehabilitation process are expected to differ from the one that Kelly went through, the general timeline being discussed suggests that a six-month recovery period could realistically position him to return to full strength just as the new baseball year is set to begin. If everything goes according to plan and no significant setbacks occur along the way, that schedule would line him up perfectly to be back on the mound by the start of the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
In fact, given his role and importance within the rotation, he would be projected to step right back into a leading position for Philadelphia, with the strong likelihood of being entrusted with the honor and responsibility of serving as the Phillies’ Opening Day starter once that campaign officially kicks off.