Zack Wheeler injury update: What happened to the Phillies' ace? Blood clot forces IL stint

Philadelphia Phillies' Zack Wheeler, who is on the 15-day injured list, has been one of the most dominant National League pitchers this season.

Philadelphia Phillies suffered not just one, but two losses in the game against Washington Nationals on Saturday. They went down 2-0 and lost right-hander Zack Wheeler to injury.

Zack Wheeler got injured in the game where Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia Phillies 2-0. (Getty Images via AFP)

Wheeler, who has been one of the most dominant National League pitchers this season, is now on the 15-day injury list with a ‘Right Upper Extremity Blood Clot’.

What is Right Upper Extremity Blood Clot?

Upper extremity blood clots (UEDVT) can appear in one's neck or arms, and then travel to their lungs, the publication noted. There is also the chance of a pulmonary embolism (PE) in such cases.

Further, Healthline noted that 10 percent of all DVTs occur in the upper extremity. The symptoms of UEDVT include shoulder pain, neck pain, bluish skin color, swelling on one's arm or hand, weakness in the hand, and pain traveling to the arm or forearm.

UEDVT can be caused due to several factors, among which is physical strain, with Healthline noting activities like rowing or pitching a baseball, in particular, can damage the inside coating of a blood vessel and lead to a clot. This is called a spontaneous UEDVT and is usually rare, as per the health publication.

Wheeler has been setting the league ablaze in the meantime, and leads in several stats, including, WHIP (0.94), strikeout rate (33.3%), strikeouts (195), xFIP (2.50), strikeout-to-walk rate (27.7%), and xERA (2.44). Now, in his 11th season in the major league, the Phillies' star has led all pitchers in fWAR (28.6) as well as innings pitched (979.0).

Now, Wheeler will undergo further testing to determine his condition, once the team gets back home.