Bryce Harper's Day at the Carpenter Complex: A Glimpse into Wheeler's Comeback
In Clearwater, Bryce Harper was all in, sitting with coaches on the first-base side at Robin Roberts Field, fully suited up in Phillies gear. As the Phillies prepared for their final Grapefruit League exhibition, Harper's focus was on something pivotal happening off the main stage.
Harper, alongside teammates and key Phillies personnel, gathered to witness Zack Wheeler's two-inning simulated game. This was Wheeler's first outing since being sidelined by thoracic outlet syndrome last summer. Over 29 pitches, with 20 strikes called by catcher Jordan Dissin, Wheeler faced eight batters, falling just short of his pitch count goal through six outs.
Wheeler felt like he was back to his old self, marking a significant milestone as spring training wrapped up.
“We kind of mapped it out, and this was part of the plan,” Wheeler shared. “It’s good just to check that box and kind of have no setbacks as we move through camp to be able to get to this point.”
Next up for Wheeler is a warm welcome at Citizens Bank Park during Thursday’s Opening Day introductions. But before that, he’ll head to Lehigh Valley for a three-inning rehab start with the Triple-A IronPigs on Saturday at Coca-Cola Park.
Having undergone thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September, Wheeler is making swift progress. He pushed himself during the second inning on Monday, with Phillies manager Rob Thomson noting his fastball was around 94 mph.
Wheeler is still fine-tuning, particularly regaining the feel for his curveball. He's down about 10 pounds from his usual pitching weight but is confident he’ll regain it.
Wheeler anticipates needing about “four-ish” more starts to be season-ready. Once activated for his minor-league appearance on Saturday, he’ll have a 30-day rehab assignment window. This timeline suggests a possible return by April 28 against the Giants, though an earlier comeback is on the cards if all goes well.
Camp Notes
In the same sim game, reliever Orion Kerkering, recovering from a hamstring issue, delivered a clean inning. Thomson was encouraged by Kerkering’s use of his splitter, a pitch he’s keen to incorporate. Though starting the season on the injured list, Kerkering will join the Opening Day introductions in Philadelphia and pitch another minor-league game at the Carpenter Complex on Wednesday.
Pitcher Daniel Robert, after a cardiac event on the mound, was further evaluated Monday following his hospital release. He's reportedly feeling fine, with plans to gradually resume activity. It's a reassuring update after a frightening incident the day before.