Overview
- Wheeler completed a 21-pitch bullpen in Clearwater, throwing four-seamers and sinkers, and manager Rob Thomson said his velocity and ball flight looked good.
- Thomson called a six-week return to major league games “possible,” though the club stressed the timetable is fluid and health will dictate the pace.
- The right-hander is progressing from long toss to multiple bullpens before facing hitters, and he might not appear in Grapefruit League games.
- Wheeler had venous thoracic outlet decompression on Sept. 23 after a blood clot was discovered in August, a surgery that included first-rib removal and vein treatment.
- Optimism is tempered by uncertainty about his post-surgery form, though Wheeler expressed confidence and past cases suggest pitchers can return within six to eight months.