Phillies' Zack Wheeler pitches first rehab outing and is poised for April return

Zack Wheeler threw 38 pitches across three innings in his first rehab outing since thoracic outlet surgery and is scheduled to make another start in Durham before at least one more outing at Double-A Reading ahead of a targeted mid-April return.

Zack Wheeler made his first competitive appearance since undergoing thoracic outlet decompression surgery last September, pitching three innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Dozens of fans watched as he threw 38 pitches and recorded three strikeouts in cool weather. Wheeler said some of his spin pitches did not feel fully right, but he found enough shape on his curveball to get swings and misses. He and the pitching coach made a small mechanical tweak in his set position that Wheeler said helped his rhythm. Key details: - Wheeler threw 38 pitches over three innings and struck out three in the outing for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. - His last major-league appearance had been on Aug. 15, 2025, and he had thoracic outlet surgery in September. - The next rehab outing is scheduled in Durham on Friday, followed by at least one start with Double-A Reading. - His fastball averaged about 93.3 mph through two innings, and he reported continuing work on feel and spin for his breaking pitches. - Reliever Orion Kerkering also made a rehab appearance for Lehigh Valley; the Phillies aim to activate him during the April 6-8 series against the San Francisco Giants. Summary: Wheeler completed a controlled first step in his return by throwing all his pitches, showing pockets of effectiveness while still tuning velocity and spin. The team plans further rehab starts in Durham and Reading as he builds up workload, with a return to the Phillies' rotation targeted for mid-April.