The Philadelphia Phillies got the news they had been patiently waiting on, and it was everything they hoped it wouldn't be. Zack Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome. This happened after he was initially diagnosed with a blood clot found near his right shoulder. It's now been recommended that he undergoes thoracic outlet decompression surgery, according to MLB.com’s Paul Casella, which would be a 6-8 month recovery time.
Phillies medical update on Zack Wheeler pic.twitter.com/JnnEAz4cMZ
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 23, 2025
Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez is the next man up and the ace to now lead this staff for the remainder of the 2025 season. He has been just as dominant this season and is the Phillies’ clear postseason Game 1 option.
Phillies’ 2025 season now rests in the hands of Cristopher Sánchez
Sánchez has been one of the best pitchers in baseball after his All-Star breakthrough last year, and will deservingly get the call in Game 1 of any postseason series. The Phillies, coming into Sunday, sit at 75-54. They hold a 1.5 game lead over the San Diego Padres for the National League No. 2 seed and sit 5.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the No. 1 seed. If they hold a top-two spot, Sánchez would be getting the ball first in the National League Division Series, opposed to playing in the Wild Card round.
What makes it at least digestible for this postseason is the extra day off between Games 1 and 2 in the NLDS. Sánchez would get the ball in Game 1, presumably followed by Ranger Suárez in Game 2 and then Jesús Luzardo in Game 3. The rotation would then flip back over to Sánchez on his normal rest day. It will give the Phillies their best chance in a shortened playoff series.
Before Wheeler went down, his Cy Young campaign was gaining a full head of steam with a 10-5 record, 2.71 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 195 strikeouts over 149 2/3 innings. Per Matt Gelb of The Athletic, it will be an uphill battle for Wheeler to return (subscription required), as a 36-year-old next season. It's also a shame to see one of the best seasons in Wheeler's career go to waste before seeing the postseason, but the Phillies have Sánchez more than willing to step in and be “the guy.“
Sánchez would be a No. 1 on many pitching staffs, and his numbers reflect that. Through 25 starts, he has an 11-4 record, 2.46 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 169 strikeouts over 157 innings. Also, Sánchez could very well finish with a top-two in Cy Young voting, even as the No. 2 in the Phillies' rotation before Wheeler went down.
The timing wouldn't have been great either way for Wheeler's diagnosis, but the postseason can be an interesting time. The Phillies have a stacked rotation even without Wheeler at the helm and as baseball fans know, the built-in days off allow managers to manipulate the rotation as they want. Give Sánchez the ball in any Game 1 and let the other horses in the rotation do what they've been doing all year long. If they step up behind Sánchez, the rotation is going to carry them a long way in October.