Zack Wheeler is back on the mound this Sunday, and the Phillies need him to be the guy we know. At Camden Yards on Friday afternoon, he skipped his planned bullpen work, and reports indicate he’s prepared to begin versus the Orioles. This is good news for a team that needs its best pitcher to show up when the pressure is on. The team can’t afford to wait around while their ace finds his rhythm again.
Don’t let the short start fool you. It’s just a blip.
A Bad Day in Miami
Let’s be honest about what happened on Monday. In only three innings, Wheeler surrendered six hits, five runs, a walk, and two homers while recording six strikeouts. Per MLB, this marked his briefest outing since April 17, 2022.com Phillies. That’s a long time to go without a short outing for a guy who usually eats up innings. He gave up five runs in a game for the first time since May 29, 2025, which is a stat that makes any fan nervous.
The numbers tell a clear story about his stuff that day. His four-seam fastball averaged only 93.5 mph, which was down 1.7 mph from his season average. No start in his career has featured a lower four-seam average than this second-lowest figure. He only averaged a career-low 93.1 mph on April 3, 2024, so he was barely above that low point. It was fair to ask about his health one more time before Sunday’s start, as interim manager Don Mattingly noted on Friday.
Wheeler himself didn’t try to hide the struggle. “It’s one of those days,” Wheeler said afterward. He stated, “Occasionally, you surely have a bad day. Right?” He also mentioned he felt nauseous on Monday, though he declined to get into specifics. “That didn’t really affect me out there,” he said. The real issue was physical. “Ball just wasn’t coming out like I wanted it to. Body wasn’t moving like I wanted it to. I was trying to get through it. Some games I can, and just today I couldn’t.”
Time to Turn the Page
The Phillies hope to see him back to his typical self on Sunday. For postseason hopes, their National League Cy Young Award contender must pitch effectively this year. Per The Good Phight, the team is looking for answers, but this feels like a temporary glitch rather than a crisis. The Orioles are a tough opponent, but Wheeler has the stuff to dominate if his body feels right again.
Fans are watching closely to see if the velocity returns. The pitch clock has changed the game, but it can’t fix a pitcher who feels off. If Wheeler can get back to his normal speed and command, the rotation stabilizes. If he struggles again, the pressure on the rest of the staff will skyrocket. Sunday’s matchup at Camden Yards decides if the Phillies’ playoff push stays on track or hits a wall.
