The Philadelphia Phillies know they can no longer count on Zack Wheeler. The star pitcher will miss the rest of this season and is expected to be out up to eight months after being diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, the team announced Saturday.
Replacing Wheeler wonât be easy. He is that good. But the Phillies have no choice but to try, especially if they intend to make a run at the World Series.
Others will need to step up to offset Wheelerâs loss. That includes, most notably, Aaron Nola, the teamâs longest-tenured player.
âI just need to step up, in general,â Nola said, via MLB.com. âI need to throw some more good games. Pretty much got one month left in the regular season, and Iâm going to do everything I can to give my all out there, and hopefully, put the guys in a good position to win every time Iâm out there.â
The Phillies are 75-54 and lead the NL East by six games.
How Has Aaron Nola Pitched This Season?
Nola has been anything but dependable this season. In 11 starts, Nola is 2-7 with a career-worst 6.52 ERA and 1.53 WHIP.
The former All-Star, who is in the second year of a seven-year, $172 million deal, had a 6.16 ERA before landing on the injured list on May 15 with a sprained right ankle. He then sustained a stress fracture in his rib cage while rehabbing, further delaying his return to the Philliesâ rotation.
Nola finally made it back on Aug. 17 and was hit hard, allowing six runs on seven hits over 2.1 innings in an 11-9 win over the Washington Nationals. On Saturday, Nola bounced back by limiting the Nationals to three runs (two earned) over six innings in a 6-4 win. He also showed improved velocity, averaging a season-best 92.6 mph with his four-seam fastball.
âWhen the velocity is up a little bit like that, Iâm on top of it a little bit more and I get a little more jump before it gets to the plate,â Nola said. âThe fastball felt good tonight, and it set up some other stuff, especially my curveball.â
Why is Zack Wheelerâs Injury So Costly?
Wheelerâs injury is a critical blow to the Phillies. He was again pitching like a Cy Young candidate, going 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA in 149.2 innings. His 195 strikeouts lead the NL and rank third in the majors behind Garrett Crochet (207) and Tarik Skubal (200).
Wheeler, 35, last pitched on Aug. 15 against Washington, allowing two runs over five innings while striking out six. Following the start, three-time All-Star complained of âheavinessâ in his right shoulder. Subsequent tests revealed a blood clot near Wheelerâs right shoulder, a diagnosis that landed him on the 15-day IL and left him needing surgery. On Aug. 18, Wheeler underwent a âthrombolysis procedureâ to remove the blood clot.
In addition to Nola, the Phillies still have left-handers Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez and Jesus Luzardo to head their rotation. Entering Sunday, they lead the majors in quality starts (71) and rank eighth in team ERA (3.76).
All are capable, but none are as accomplished as Wheeler.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Phillies’ Aaron Nola Sends Strong Message After Devastating Zack Wheeler News appeared first on Heavy Sports.