Phillies Pitcher Zack Wheeler Shares Gory Details of Blood Clot Surgery

Wheeler is working his way back from venous thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition that required the removal of a rib.

Feb. 25, 2026 at 5:09pm

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Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler recently opened up about the details of his surgery to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition that caused a blood clot and required the removal of one of his ribs. Wheeler said the procedure involved 'chopping the bone' to get rid of the rib causing the issue, removing the blood clot, and then opening up the vein, which had closed back up a couple times during the process. Despite the gory details, Wheeler remains optimistic about his recovery and doesn't think there's any reason he won't return to being the dominant pitcher he's been throughout his career.

Why it matters

Wheeler's injury and surgery are significant for the Phillies, as he has been one of their top pitchers over the past several seasons. The team will be eager to get him back on the mound, as he has posted a 2.91 ERA with over 1,000 strikeouts in his career. His recovery from this procedure will be closely watched, as blood clot issues can sometimes be tricky to fully resolve.

The details

According to Wheeler, the surgery involved removing one of his ribs in order to address the venous thoracic outlet syndrome that was causing a blood clot. He said the doctors 'chopped the bone' to get rid of the rib, removed the blood clot, and then had to go back in a couple times to reopen the vein, which had closed back up. Wheeler noted that if the vein continued to close, they may have had to insert a stent, but so far the procedure has been successful.

  • Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome last summer.
  • Just over a week ago, Wheeler was seen throwing during spring training for the first time since his surgery.

The players

Zack Wheeler

A starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies who has posted a 2.91 ERA and over 1,000 strikeouts in his MLB career.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Major League Baseball team that Zack Wheeler plays for, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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What they’re saying

“Basically all they do is go in, chop the bone, get rid of that [rib] because that's what's causing it, get rid of the blood clot, and then open up the vein. My vein closed back, I think two different times, so they had to go back and open it. If it happened again, I think they were just going to do a stent. But so far, so good.”

— Zack Wheeler (The Inquirer)

“I don't think there's any reason why I wouldn't be who I am. It's not like a major surgery. I just got a rib taken out. It might sound like a crazy situation, or crazy surgery, or whatever, but mentally, I'm not really stressed about it. Physically, I'm not really stressed about it.”

— Zack Wheeler (The Inquirer)

What’s next

Wheeler won't be ready for Opening Day, but the Phillies are hopeful he will return at some point during the season as he continues his recovery.

The takeaway

Wheeler's openness about the gory details of his surgery highlights the challenges professional athletes can face in recovering from complex medical procedures. However, his positive outlook and confidence in returning to form are encouraging signs for the Phillies, who will need their ace pitcher healthy and dominant if they hope to contend in the NL East.