The Philadelphia Phillies may have a commanding lead over the skidding New York Mets in the NL East standings, but they need to be at full strength. On Friday night, the Phillies and their fanbase were given a scare after closer Jhoan Duran, who the team acquired at the trade deadline, took a line drive off of his foot and had to be carted off the field. X-rays were negative, and Duran said on Saturday that that he feels 100 percent better.
But on Saturday, after the Phillies lost 2-0 to the Washington Nationals, they announced that their ace, Zack Wheeler is heading onto the injured list.
Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic announced that Wheeler is being placed on the injured list due to a blood clot in his right upper extremity, near his shoulder. While Wheeler is being placed on the 15-day injured list, there is no official timetable for his return.
Zack Wheeler has a blood clot in his right upper extremity, close to his shoulder. He will go on the IL.
— Charlotte Varnes (@charlottevarnes) August 16, 2025
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Zack Wheeler placed on injured list due to blood clot near right shoulder
Wheeler had reported shoulder stiffness last week, but he was good enough to play this past Friday against the Nationals. In that game, Wheeler struck out six batters and allowed two earned runs on four hits in five innings of work. But after the game, he told Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit that he was experiencing new symptoms, which included heaviness, according to Varnes.
Wheeler is set to undergo further testing next week to determine what he is dealing with and how long he could be sidelined for.
This season, Wheeler wasn't just the best pitcher on the Phillies, but one of the best in the majors. Through 24 starts, Wheeler recorded a 2.71 ERA, a National League-best 0.935 WHIP, and a major-league best 195 strikeouts in 149.2 innings pitched.
Yes, Phillies fans will think about how this affects their chances in the playoffs. But given the seriousness of what Wheeler is dealing with, let's just hope that he will be okay overall.