India, July 28 -- Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler endured an unusually brief outing on Monday in the opener of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins, leaving both fans and reporters concerned.

The veteran right-hander struggled from the very beginning, surrendering two runs in the first inning before giving up three more in the second.

Although he settled down with a clean third inning, his night ended there as the Phillies removed him from the game after just three innings of work.

Wheeler finished the outing after pitching three innings, allowing six hits and five earned runs, including two home runs, while recording one walk, six strikeouts, and throwing 68 pitches.

As Wheeler's outing unfolded, The Athletic Phillies...