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Wheeler Set to Return and Make Start on Thursday Against Dodgers
The Philadelphia Phillies are in short supply of starters after COVID-19 took down Zach Eflin and Zack Wheeler last week. The club was forced to call up Bailey Falter for the Phillies game on Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners to fill Eflin's spot.
But now, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Wheeler will meet the team in Los Angeles on Thursday for the Phillies 10:10 p.m. game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
For a bullpen that will be taxed from what will likely be an abbreviated start from Bailey Falter, Wheeler's return comes none too soon. The Phillies have the depth to handle one absent starter, but certainly not two.
After a dismal start to the season, Wheeler has heated up rather quickly, allowing no runs in his previous two starts, which combined for 13.2 innings on 168 pitches.
His May 4 game against the Texas Rangers could have been his magnum opus of 2022 has manager Joe Girardi not pulled his ace after just 78 pitches with two outs in the eighth inning.
Either way, after a full week's worth of rest, Wheeler's return to the Phillies is a boon they could not afford to go without.
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