New Delhi, Aug. 24 -- The Philadelphia Phillies face a major challenge as their star pitcher, Zack Wheeler, will miss the remainder of the 2025 season due to upcoming surgery for venous thoracic outlet syndrome. The team announced on Saturday that Wheeler, who had a blood clot successfully removed from his right upper extremity on August 18, requires thoracic outlet decompression surgery. With a recovery period of 6-8 months, Wheeler's availability for the start of the 2026 season is uncertain.

Zack Wheeler was delivering another Cy Young-caliber season before his injury, boasting a 2.71 ERA across 149 ⅔ innings in 24 starts. Leading the National League with 195 strikeouts and a 0.94 WHIP, Wheeler ranked seventh among pitchers with...