For most of the season, the Philadelphia Phillies have had an issue in their starting rotation. That’s been the back end struggling. Now, the Phillies have a new problem. Ace Zack Wheeler is going through some major issues.
This, of course, complicates a playoff series. For most of the season, the Phillies have felt good about a three-man rotation in the playoffs, led by Wheeler. That’s more complicated now. Of course, what makes that worse is that Wheeler’s struggles could make a Wild Card race even more difficult.
The Philadelphia Phillies Were Warned About Ace Zack Wheeler
At the All-Star break, Phillies ace Zack Wheeler was widely regarded as a snub because of how well he was pitching this season. That was despite missing the start of the season while recovering from an injury.
Now, Wheeler is looking for answers. He hasn’t pitched more than 5.1 innings since July 27th. In that stretch, he’s given up at least 4 earned runs four different times, including 8 earned in his most recent outing against the Seattle Mariners. That left Manny Randhawa of MLB.com to offer a warning to the Phillies.
“Since throwing a gem against the Dodgers on July 21, in which he yielded two runs over seven innings with no walks and nine strikeouts, Wheeler has been struggling,” Randhawa wrote. “Over his past six starts, his ERA is 8.51. That includes his most recent appearance, which came against the Mariners in Seattle — he surrendered eight runs over four innings at T-Mobile Park.”
Despite those struggles, the Phillies have pushed back on concern. They’ve made it clear that they believe Wheeler is healthy and will work through this bad stretch.
“Of the nine hits off Wheeler, four were homers. He became the first Phillies pitcher in the Modern Era (since 1900) to give up four or more homers and walk five or more batters in a single outing. The good news is Wheeler said he feels ‘perfectly fine.’ The bad news is that for several starts now, he hasn’t had his control — he’s walked 15 over his last four starts,” Randhawa wrote.
“Phillies fans will hope that what interim manager Don Mattingly said after Wheeler’s performance against Seattle will prove to be true, and sooner rather than later: ‘I’m not concerned that he’s not going to get where he needs to get to. Obviously, any time guys struggle … you’re concerned about it … but you’re not like, oh, this guy’s lost it. He’s never going to be good again.’”
Phillies Ace Zack Wheeler on Addressing His Struggles
Even before the Mariners start, Phillies ace Zack Wheeler had been feeling pressure due to his struggles on the mound. At that time, he insisted it was an issue with his legs and he’s “getting to (them) more.”
Among the issues that Wheeler has clearly been having is with his command. These short starts are, in part, because he’s walking too many batters and throwing too many pitches.
“It’s been hit-or-miss with what I’ve got that day,” Wheeler said, “and I’m just kind of not used to that. So it’s a battle, and I’ve just got to put everything together. I know I still got it.”
Zack Wheeler is currently scheduled to pitch on Sunday, August 30th against the Los Angeles Angels. That’s not an offense to be feared, so Wheeler should be able to bounce back before the home stretch of the season.
Phillies Given Warning About SP Zack Wheeler Amid Late-Season Struggles