Urgency Overwhelmingly Apparent for Zack Wheeler to Return to Phillies ASAP

The Philadelphia Phillies may have the arms to survive an extended Zack Wheeler absence to start off the 2026 season. That may hinge on whether or not Aaron Nola is pitching like himself again, though.

As MLB.com's Theo DeRosa writes, Wheeler's importance to the Phils' rotation is amplified by the uncertainty surrounding Nola's health and ability to return to pre-2025 levels. DeRosa shared healthy optimism about what a healthy and effective Wheeler means to Rob Thomson and Co.

DeRosa also referenced the free agency loss of lefty Ranger Suarez, who had a 3.25 ERA during his stellar four years in Philadelphia and will be greatly missed with or without a healthy Nola and Wheeler at the start of the season.

"Wheeler has been one of the best starters in the Majors since signing with the team prior to 2020, and the club also lost lefty Ranger Suárez to the Red Sox in free agency this offseason. Throw in a poor, injury-plagued 2025 for Aaron Nola, and the Phillies rotation needs Wheeler back as soon as he’s healthy. If he ends up pitching a full season and remaining effective -- hardly guaranteed given the nature of his affliction -- it would be a huge boon for Philadelphia," DeRosa writes.

For what it's worth, The Athletic's Matt Gelb reports a return date that'll more likely be closer to opening day than the six-to-eight month trajectroy that Dave Dombrowski shared immediately following Wheeler's injury.

“I think there's been a lot of optimism among the Phillies about how he's progressed... I think it's going to be closer to April 1 than to June 1," Gelb reported on MLB Network back in late January.

Aaron Nola Pitching for Italy in World Baseball Classic

Had Wheeler not been injured, we would've seen him pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Obviously, that's off the table with the WBC kicking off in early March and Wheeler still throwing on flat ground.

Nola, though, will be playing for Italy at the games. It will be Nola's first time pitching in the WBC, and he'll get the chance to play in front of an American crowd at Daikin Park in Houston.

Nola can show that he's knocked off some rust in the high-stakes international games, or he can make the organization regret giving him clearance to play.

We'll see how the cookie crumbles in a few weeks for the 32-year-old former ace.