In a piece of news Friday that would have registered more had it not come the same morning Joe Girardi was fired as Phillies manager, ace Zack Wheeler was named National League Pitcher of the Month for May.
Wheeler is the first Phillies pitcher to win a monthly award in more than a decade. The last was Cliff Lee in August 2011.
In five May starts, Wheeler went 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, striking out 40 in 32⅔ innings.
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It's the first Pitcher of the Month award in Wheeler's career.
He carried a 3.16 ERA into Saturday night's start against the Angels. The Phillies are just 4-5 behind him this season, having lost one game when Wheeler allowed no runs over 7⅔ innings and two others when he gave up one earned run.
One of the best free-agent signings in Phillies (and probably also Philadelphia sports) history, Wheeler has a 2.87 ERA and 1.06 WHIP through 52 starts with the team. He's averaged 6.5 innings per start.
Despite ranking 14th in starts, Wheeler leads all of MLB with 335⅔ innings pitched since joining the Phillies prior to the 2020 season.
MLB
Wheeler has almost no history with the Angels. Mike Trout is 0 for 1 with two walks against him and veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki is 4 for 15 with a double but wasn't in Saturday's lineup.
No IL for Maton yet
Nick Maton hurt his shoulder making a diving catch to rob Trout of a hit Friday night and exited after landing awkwardly. He was still sore after the game but was not placed on the injured list Saturday despite the Phillies having just three players -- Maton, Odubel Herrera and backup catcher Garrett Stubbs -- on their bench.
Didi Gregorius (knee) is on a rehab assignment with Triple A Lehigh Valley and is set to be reevaluated after Sunday's game.
Gregorius was the IronPigs' designated hitter Saturday after playing both games of a doubleheader Friday, one as the shortstop, the other as DH. He's 3 for 17 with a homer in five games.
The only healthy infielders on the Phillies' 40-man roster are the ones they're starting: Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm, Johan Camargo and Bryson Stott. Second baseman Jean Segura is out until early September with a broken finger.
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