Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler will miss his scheduled Monday start due to ripping a fingernail while putting on his pants last Wednesday.
“Just one of those stupid things,” Wheeler said Friday. “I tripped a little bit, I lost my balance, and my jeans yanked out of my hand.”
Although the injury occurred last Wednesday, there was a chance for Wheeler to start on Monday. However, Phillies manager Joe Girardi said on Saturday that the 30-year-old would not be available to pitch in Monday’s game against the Miami Marlins. The Phillies remain optimistic that Wheeler will be able to start against his former team (New York Mets) this week.
Tough Week for Philadelphia
The unfortunate injury to Wheeler was not the only bad news that the Phillies received last week. Starting pitcher Spencer Howard left Saturday’s game due to stiffness in his throwing shoulder. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday and could miss the rest of the abbreviated 2020 season. But it didn’t stop there, as catcher J.T. Realmuto and first baseman Rhys Hoskins both missed Sunday’s doubleheader against Miami. Realmuto felt “hip discomfort” while running the bases on Saturday and is listed day-to-day. Hoskins sat out with an “achy forearm,” and is expected to receive an MRI on Monday.
“It’s a real concern any time anyone gets an MRI,” Girardi said. “We want to get an idea of exactly what’s going on to give us a better way of treating it and knowing how long to expect they’re going to be out. Is it going to be three to five days, is it going to be ten days, what’s it going to be? That’s why we’re doing the MRIs.”
These injuries hit Philadelphia at a bad time, as they sit in third place in the NL East with 15 games to play. If Philadelphia’s key players miss a significant amount of time, their playoff hopes will be in danger.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
