Phillies must ensure Zack Wheeler's comfortable return with this rotation plan

The Philadelphia Phillies are fortunate enough to enjoy more stability in their starting rotation than most MLB clubs, but that doesn’t mean things are set in stone as the start of the season rapidly approaches later this month.

The Phillies have painted themselves into a bit of a corner, no pun intended, and it seems like they will need post-hype prospect Andrew Painter to open the season in the rotation. This is part of the fallout from the decision not to re-sign Ranger Suárez (or Walker Buehler, for that matter). With Zack Wheeler on the shelf to begin the year, the only real option for a five-man unit will consist of Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, Jesús Luzardo, Taijuan Walker, and Painter.

With four days off over the first three weeks of the season, the Phillies will also be able to stretch these pitchers out as we ease into 2026. There shouldn’t be any rush to get Zack Wheeler back out there in his return from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, but he could be ready to go by late April, as some reports are indicating. What then?

The first hope is that all five members of the rotation are pitching well, or at least respectably enough, that there won’t be any pressing need to take any of them out once Wheeler comes back. So, assuming health and relative effectiveness from the rest of the starters, Wheeler’s return should herald the beginning of a six-man rotation for the Phils.

How a temporary six-man rotation early in 2026 could help the Phillies in the long run

It’s a bit of a luxury, and not all teams can do it, especially teams that will really have to fight to make the postseason. But if you make the reasonable assumption that the Phillies SHOULD be an easy playoff team, and it’s just a matter of seeding and how healthy they can stay while getting there, it’s a strong option for them.

As Wheeler returns and settles in, the team can go with six starters for a period of six to eight weeks that will carry them to around the All-Star break. They can also utilize days off to skip a start here and there, most likely for Painter to preserve his innings or with Walker by giving him a few innings out of the bullpen in lieu of one of his starts. Once again, this all depends on everyone pitching near the expectations for them and also staying healthy.

There are some risks, though. The team really doesn’t have any obvious candidates to come up from the minors for a few weeks and take a regular turn, so there isn’t much wiggle room with this plan. If someone hits the injured list, you will probably just have to go back to a traditional rotation. And there is the potential for disrupting schedules, so Nola, Sanchez, and the rest will need to buy into this strategy. It will hurt some counting stats and might not make folks who roster these guys in fantasy too happy, but if you can ultimately trim 10 or 15 innings off the season workload for these pitchers, you are helping your cause in the long run.

As mentioned, this measure is meant to be temporary. After Wheeler has made 8 or 10 starts, the team can transition away from it, likely by removing Walker from the rotation. Assuming Painter has been effective to that point, we are talking about a top-five rotation in the majors from No. 1 through No. 5. That sounds like a team primed for playoff success.

The rotation itself is impressive, but the Phillies still may need to supplement it later in the year since there isn’t much depth beyond it. In the meantime, they can lessen their overall risk with this plan. There is enough talent in this group that they won’t be hurting any kind of playoff scenarios by giving their top arms a couple fewer starts.

It’s all about the big picture, and going with the six-man option for approximately two months in May and June could pay off big for the Phillies come October.