Phillies' Zack Wheeler Diagnosed with Blood Clot Near Shoulder, Placed on 15-Day IL

Philadelphia Phillies All-Star starter Zack Wheeler was placed on the 15-day injured list after he was diagnosed with a blood clot near his shoulder, the team announced Saturday.

The timetable for Wheeler's return is "unclear," per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

He previously had a start pushed back after experiencing shoulder soreness following an outing against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 2.

While he gave up just four earned runs over his next two starts and Philadelphia won both games, it marked the first time all year that he hadn't pitched beyond the fifth inning in consecutive appearances.

Wheeler will undergo further testing once the Phillies return home, as they'll face the Washington Nationals on Sunday in the final contest of a 10-game road trip (via Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz).

His upcoming absence is a tough blow to Philadelphia's rotation, as he put together a dominant 2025 campaign.

Wheeler owns a 10-5 record in 24 starts to go along with a 2.71 ERA and 0.935 WHIP. He hasn't shown many signs of slowing down after finishing No. 2 in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2024, as he leads the majors with 195 strikeouts this season.

Even though Wheeler struggled with availability early in his career, he's been durable as of late. He's recorded 32 starts in three of the past four years.

The Phillies will look to remain atop the NL East while their ace recovers, currently holding a five-game lead over the New York Mets for the No. 1 spot in the division with a 70-53 record.