New York Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler has been throwing and feeling fine, as he currently sits on the 10-day injured list.
Good news for the New York Mets and righty Zack Wheeler, whose time on the injured list is hopefully nearing the end.
On Thursday, Wheeler threw for the second consecutive day and “felt fine,” per Tim Healey of Newsday. Wheeler was placed on the 10-day IL on Monday due to shoulder fatigue. The IL placement was retroactive to Friday, June 12. Therefore, the earliest he could return to the mound would be July 23.
Healey also reported that there was no structural damage in Wheeler’s shoulder, meaning that it was just a fatigue issue.
When asked about his veteran starter, Mets manager Mickey Callaway stated, “We’ll just see how this plays out with him. Obviously, playing catch and [how he feels] continuing to play catch will dictate a lot of what goes on next. So we’ll just feel him out day-to-day and see where we’re at.”
Thus far this season, Wheeler is 6-6 with an ERA of 4.69 and a WHIP of 1.277 through 19 starts (119.0 innings pitched). Wheeler has also struck out 130 batters, walking 34 in the process.
Despite his trade value decreasing due to the injury, a possibility that Wheeler is dealt before the July 31 deadline isn’t completely shut down.
Teams could still attempt to acquire Wheeler as just a rental (most likely). His current contract expires at the conclusion of this season. One of these organizations is the New York Yankees, however, a trade between the Mets and Yankees may be unlikely.