Phillies' Zack Wheeler Says 'Terrible' Mound at A's Stadium Felt Like 'Cement'

Zack Wheeler is not a fan of the Athletics' temporary home as they await their new stadium in Las Vegas.

The Philadelphia Phillies pitcher said that the hard pitching mound threw him off in Friday's win over the A's.

"The mound was terrible," he said. "That was really it. Honestly, I felt great today and that's why I was frustrated, cause I felt great and the mound was bad."

He compared the mound to cement and said it forced him to adjust how he relies on his lower body.

"It was like cement right in front of the rubber," Wheeler said. "So I was just trying to break it up, and once you kind of did break it up, there’s little bumps in it. It probably doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you’re used to pitching on similar mounds throughout the league, just that little difference kind of messes with you. I really couldn’t get into the dirt to drive. So I was throwing all arm tonight. It was a little different. I just had to make little adjustments out there as I went."

Despite the subpar conditions, Wheeler had another strong outing and has now pitched 22.2 consecutive scoreless innings. He allowed just three hits and two walks, picking up eight strikeouts across 6.2 innings on Friday.

The veteran is 6-1 through 11 starts, recording a 2.42 ERA and 0.88 WHIP.

The Athletics will play at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento through at least the 2027 season. Their new stadium in Las Vegas is slated to open for the start of the 2028 season.

It's not an ideal situation for the A's or any team playing against them in Sacramento, but for the time being, players will have to manage the subtleties that come with playing at a minor league ballpark.