Zack

Wheeler

Wheeler will open the regular season on the IL, but Phillies manager Rob Thomson has indicated that they believe he’ll be ready to make his season debut at some point in April. The 35-year-old former fantasy ace continues to ramp up his throwing program coming off thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. He’s a top 25-30 range starter in fantasy drafts based on his previously-elite track record.

It was Wheeler’s first time facing hitters since undergoing surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome last September. The 35-year-old former fantasy ace is trending towards a return to Philadelphia’s rotation at some point in April but remains without a firm timeline. There should be a definitive target date once Wheeler begins ramping up from a pitch count and endurance standpoint in game action. He’s a top 25-30 range starter in fantasy drafts at the moment, especially since all signs point to him only missing a few weeks at the outset of the regular season.

MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki believes an April return is in play for Wheeler, and adds that it wouldn’t be surprising if he pitched in a game before the end of camp. All reports out of Spring Training have been optimistic for Wheeler so far, making him a reasonable gamble at ADP.

Thomson’s updated ramp-up timeline puts Wheeler in line to potentially make his season debut on April 9, barring any setbacks. The 35-year-old former fantasy ace completed his first bullpen session since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery earlier this week and is scheduled to throw another one later this weekend. Fantasy managers should anticipate the Phillies approaching his build-up with an abundance of caution. However, it sounds like he’ll be ready to rejoin Philadelphia’s rotation from a pitch count and stamina standpoint at some point in early-to-mid April. The big question is how his stuff responds once he progresses to facing hitters in game situations coming off a major surgical procedure. He’s been going off the board 146th overall, on average, in early NFBC drafts since February 1.

The 35-year-old right-hander appears to be slightly ahead of schedule in his recovery from thoracic outlet decompression surgery that he underwent in late September. The Phillies aren’t going to rush him back, but it sounds like he could beat the initial estimate that had him returning to the Phillies’ rotation in early May which would be a major boon to fantasy managers who invested in him in early drafts.

It was a 21-pitch session that featured just four-seam and two-seam fastballs. Afterwards, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said, “The velo was good, the ball flight was good...He felt great. We’ll check him tomorrow, find out how he’s feeling, and get a plan going moving forward.” As of now, Wheeler’s timeline is fluid, and the Phillies have said they will not rush him back because he’s too important to their success this season. As of now, an early May return seems like it might be the most optimistic outlook for Wheeler.

The Phillies are taking a cautious approach with the 35-year-old hurler and the expectation is that he’ll open the season on the injured list. It’s unclear how much time into the regular season he may miss though and if we don’t wind up seeing him at all in Grapefruit League action, it’ll be tough for fantasy managers to know what to expect from Wheeler to open the 2026 season.

Wheeler is coming back from thoracic outlet surgery that took place in late September. The Phillies lost Ranger Suárez and haven’t added any veteran starters on major league deals this winter, so barring a late pickup, it looks like there will be two rotation spots initially available for Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter, Bryse Wilson or anyone else who steps up.

Wheeler underwent surgery in late September to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome following an operation in mid-August to remove a blood clot near his right shoulder. The 35-year-old fantasy ace is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day based on the club’s initial recovery timeline of 6-8 months. There should be a clearer estimate for his season debut once he ramps up his throwing program in spring training.

Dombrowski hasn’t offered any additional clarity on Wheeler’s recovery timeline from surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome since his end-of-season media session in late October, when he reiterated the club’s expectation: “The timeline remains six to eight months to be back pitching in a major-league game — so that takes you to the end of May.” The veteran fantasy ace, who turns 36 in late May, is expected to continue ramping up during spring training, but remains highly unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. The central question for fantasy managers is whether his front-of-the-rotation stuff returns to pre-surgery during spring throwing sessions and early-season rehab outings. He’s the definition of a high-risk, high-reward pick — volatile because of the procedure but impossible to ignore given his track record. A speculative selection as a top-40 range starting pitcher for fantasy purposes makes sense. With Wheeler projected to miss at least two months — and Ranger Suárez likely leaving in free agency — there’s also a very real pathway for top prospect Andrew Painter to break camp in Philadelphia’s rotation.