Phillies ace Zack Wheeler placed on injured list with blood clot

Phillies ace Zack Wheeler will be placed on the 15-day injured list with a blood clot, the club announced Saturday evening.

Wheeler’s blood clot is located in his “right upper extremity,” according to the Phillies. Team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, speaking to reporters including Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports at Nationals Park, did not provide a timetable for a return in his announcement, which was also aired on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The executive said right-hander Aaron Nola will be activated from the 60-day IL on Sunday to take Wheeler’s place on the 26-man roster. The Phillies will need to make a move to provide room for Nola on their 40-man roster.

This is a scary development for the 35-year-old Wheeler, who has been a force at the top of Philadelphia’s rotation since he arrived prior to the 2020 season. The righty has a 2.71 ERA in 24 starts this year and has been one of the best pitchers in the major leagues. It’s not yet clear how much time he’ll now miss as he deals with this serious medical issue.