Phillies' Zack Wheeler Misses Start with Fingernail Injury from Putting on Pants

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler has added a new entry to the list of unique baseball injuries thanks to an incident with his pants.

Phillies manager Joe Girardi told reporters Wheeler will miss his scheduled start Saturday after injuring the nail on his right middle finger while putting on pants.

Spencer Howard will take Wheeler's spot in the rotation Saturday against the Miami Marlins. The 24-year-old rookie has a 5.66 ERA in five starts.

The good news for the Phillies is that it doesn't sound like Wheeler will miss extended time. They are the No. 5 seed in the National League playoff standings, but they are only 2.5 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants for the final spot.

Since starting the season 9-14, Philadelphia has reeled off 12 wins in 17 games.

Wheeler signed a five-year deal with the Phillies last offseason to bolster their starting rotation. The 30-year-old is having the best season of his career. He ranks eighth in the NL with a 2.47 ERA and leads the team with 51 innings pitched through eight starts.