Zack Wheeler will take the mound Tuesday night for the series opener against the Red Sox at Fenway Park as he continues his return from surgery last September. The right-hander has posted a 3.12 ERA through three starts this season. He has completed at least six innings in each of his past two outings.
Wheeler has acknowledged that he is fully healthy but described his recent performance as just a little off, particularly with his sweeper and curveball. His four-seam fastball averaged 95.0 mph in his most recent start, up from his rehab outings and in line with his progression at this stage last year. Opponents are hitting just .180 against him so far, though he has yet to reach his typical peak velocity of 97 mph or higher with regularity.
