The Phillies new (and old) reality

The news hit like a ton of bricks.

Zack Wheeler to the injured list with a blood clot near his shoulder. The combination of the calendar and seriousness of the issue has put Wheeler’s season in peril. We’ll soon get more info on a treatment plan, but I would be very surprised if we saw the Phillies ace again in 2025.

It’s an incredible bummer for the team, and for Wheeler. I feel particularly bad for Wheeler himself, the veteran ace who went from oft-injured with the Mets to durable ace in Philadelphia. His final shot at winning at championship as the centerpiece of a rotation may have just slipped away. And your guess is as good as mine as to what this means to his effectiveness and career moving forward.

There’s also something else that’s become a Phillies reality, and one we can’t ignore any longer.