The start of the 2026 season for the Philadelphia Phillies has been, for the sake of keeping things family-friendly on this site, unbelievably rough. While the bats have been colder than dry ice, and should be the primary concern right now, the Phillies' pitching staff hasn't been exactly perfect on their end of the ball either.
This time last year, the Phillies' pitching staff, specifically their starting rotation, was one of the best in all of the sport. Their 2.87 ERA ranked fourth in the National League last year, and their starters, at large, would be hurling at least seven, and sometimes eight, innings. This year, the rotation is averaging around four to five innings, and has a team 4.84 ERA throughout this first month of play, which is not just one of the worst marks in the NL, but the league at large.
Despite the team's eighth consecutive loss, started by lefty reliever Kyle Backhus, it was, to absolutely no one's surprise, Taijuan Walker who got pinned with the loss, after serving nothing but high cheese at a whopping 91-92 miles per hour, bolstering his ERA to an alarming 9.13.
The 7-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday pinpointed just about every weakness this pitching staff is facing right now. They're lucky the pitiful offense has been even worse.Come Saturday, though, the team's luck might begin to change.
Zack Wheeler's return brings a breath of fresh air for the struggling Phillies
Wheeler has an extremely successful five-start rehab assignment across both Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading. He mentioned in a postgame interview with Greg Johnson of the Scranton Times-Tribune that while he wasn't "at one-hundred percent pre-injury form" during his final start, he feels ready to be the relief the pitching staff needs.
In his first rehab start, Wheeler threw just 38 pitches (26 strikes) across three innings, where he felt strong and healthy. In his second start, Wheeler allowed five runs over three innings and 49 pitches, and started to look more like himself in his final start for the IronPigs, only allowing one run through 4 1/3 innings.
The concern from those starts, however, should be acknowledged as the 35-year-old righty returns to the big leagues this Saturday. Wheeler's mechanics have been a work in progress during these five starts. Throughout Wheeler's first few starts, his fastball velocity dipped from his average of 96 mph to 92-94 mph, but with each start, he focused on certain elements that allowed his command to improve, and his velocity crept back up towards a respectable 94 mph as he nailed the spin on his breaking balls.
Should fans be expecting Wheeler in his 2024 Cy Young form? No, not at all, but it should allow the pitching staff, fans, and most notably, the rest of the starting rotation to relax a little. The return of the Phillies' workhorse ace will alleviate some of the stress off of Cristopher Sánchez, who has been the only starlight every fifth day in the otherwise black and lifeless sky that is the Phillies organization at large right now.
Who knows what the Phillies' starting rotation will look like come the next homestand, but one thing is for sure: with Wheeler back in the saddle, there is at least some hope as the Phillies try to right the ship heading into May.
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