Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler pitched 4 1/3 innings in his third minor-league rehab start on Wednesday night with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He allowed one run on three hits, walked one batter and struck out six while throwing 61 pitches against Rochester. The Phillies plan for him to make at least one more outing.
Wheeler's four-seam fastball averaged 92.9 mph during the appearance, reaching a high of 94.3 mph. That velocity trails his 96.1 mph average from last season with Philadelphia, when a blood clot near his right shoulder ended his year in August. He underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September and has since lost 10 pounds that he has not regained, potentially contributing to the lower speeds. The Phillies, however, report that Wheeler feels fine and they hold no concerns about his progress. In his prior rehab efforts, Wheeler threw three innings on Friday night against Toledo, averaging 92.7 mph on his fastball with a top of 93.9 mph over 49 pitches. His debut came March 28 at Durham, where he tossed three frames on 38 pitches, averaging 93.3 mph and topping out at 94.3 mph.
