The Philadelphia Phillies are entering the 2026 MLB season with some question marks at the starting pitching spot. While Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Taijuan Walker are all back, the rest of the rotation is a bit more uncertain.

Will Andrew Painter make the Opening Day roster? It’s possible, but uncertain. But the more pressing issue for the Phillies is the status of Zack Wheeler.

Coming off venous thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, Wheeler is going to miss some time to begin the 2026 season. But, as Paul Casella of MLB.com shares, Rob Thomson had some good news for Wheeler despite the ace not being ready for Opening Day.

Phillies get bittersweet Zack Wheeler update for 2026 season

“Not a surprise, but Rob Thomson says he doesn’t expect Zack Wheeler to be ready by Opening Day, but adds he ‘doesn’t think he’ll be too far behind that,'” Casella shares. “Says all is going well with Wheeler’s rehab at this point.”

Wheeler won’t be ready for Opening Day for the Phillies. That’s not a major surprise, based on the scary nature of his injury and the lengthy road to recovery he’s been on.

But this update from Thomson, indicating Wheeler might be able to come back not long after Opening Day, is some very good news for the Phillies.

Being able to get as much out of Wheeler as possible is key for the Phillies. Their rotation will be a reason they either make it back to the postseason or come up short.

While Sanchez, Luzardo, and even Painter and Nola are, at worst, solid options, having Wheeler back would be a massive boost to the team.

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Not just from the standpoint that Wheeler is the team’s best starter when healthy, with a remarkable 2.91 ERA in his Phillies career, but that his presence would mean a complete rotation.

Being fully healthy can be huge for a team, and getting Wheeler back will instill confidence in this team going forward.

He’s one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, and he’s put up a 2.57 ERA and 2.71 ERA in the last two seasons.

While he might miss a few starts this season, it seems like it might not be as much as previously thought. Wheeler could be back sooner than later, as his recovery is going well.

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