Phillies pitcher Zach Wheeler He was placed on the 15-day injured list with tendonitis in his right forearm, the team announced Thursday.
Without Wheeler, Philadelphia will start left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter in the first game of a three-game series against the Pirates on Friday. The 2021 All-Star has struggled in his last two outings on the mound, giving up 10 runs in over 11 innings.
Wheeler has missed nearly two seasons in the past with Tommy John surgery, but the 32-year-old is free of the injury bug and ranks third in innings pitched since 18 years. He pitched 138 innings with a 3.07 ERA, 148 strikeouts, and 33 walks.
The earliest the 32-year-old can activate from IL is September 6th. The Phillies (69-55) entered the NL East on Thursday, 9.5 games behind the Mets and eight games behind the Braves, but two games ahead of the Padres. They are 3.5 games ahead of the Brewers in the wild card race.
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