Phillies set date for Zack Wheeler’s TOS surgery

PHILADELPHIA — Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who suffered a blood clot earlier this season, has a date set to correct the medical issue that caused it.

Wheeler will undergo a procedure on Sept. 23 for the venous thoracic outlet syndrome that he was diagnosed with last month, Phillies manager Rob Thomson announced Saturday. Dr. Robert Thompson of St. Louis will perform the thoracic outlet decompression surgery.

Recovery from this operation is generally six to eight months, according to the Phillies. Wheeler will not pitch again this season.

Wheeler, 35, was placed on the injured list on Aug. 17 with a blood clot near his right shoulder. The next day, he underwent a thrombolysis procedure performed by Dr. Paul DiMuzio at Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University Hospital to remove the clot.

It was later determined that the blood clot was a result of thoracic outlet syndrome and that Wheeler would undergo surgery, sidelining him until next season. The pitcher will remain away from the club in the days leading up to his procedure.

“We won’t see him until after that,” Thomson said.

Surgery for TOS involves the removal of the first rib and associated muscles in the area. Thompson, the director of the Washington University Center for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, is considered a leading TOS expert.

“He’s a specialist in this,” said the manager Thomson, who noted that there’s no relation between himself and the similarly named surgeon. “… That’s not my specialty.”

The veteran Wheeler has been one of the best starting pitchers in the major leagues since signing with the Phillies before the 2020 season, notching two runner-up finishes for the National League Cy Young Award in 2021 and 2024. He had a 2.71 ERA in 24 starts this season before the blood clot was discovered.

With a 2.71 ERA in 70 1/3 innings over the past three postseasons, Wheeler has been one of the best playoff performers in the sport in recent years. The Phillies, who could wrap up the NL East as soon as Sunday, will be without their No. 1 arm this October, but still boast a strong rotation now led by a trio of left-handers in Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo.