Saturday, October 4, 2025
Submit Press Release
Got Action
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • NCAA
    • NCAA Football
    • NCAA Basketball
    • NCAA Baseball
    • NCAA Sport
  • Baseball
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • MLB
  • Formula 1
  • MMA
  • Boxing
  • Tennis
  • Golf
  • Sports Picks
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • NCAA
    • NCAA Football
    • NCAA Basketball
    • NCAA Baseball
    • NCAA Sport
  • Baseball
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • MLB
  • Formula 1
  • MMA
  • Boxing
  • Tennis
  • Golf
  • Sports Picks
Got Action
No Result
View All Result

Zack Wheeler on IL with blood clot: What it means, what to expect

August 18, 2025
in MLB
0 0
0
Home MLB
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Stephania BellAug 17, 2025, 05:00 PM ET

CloseStephania Bell is a senior writer and injury analyst for ESPN. Stephania is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame and a certified orthopedic clinical specialist and strength and conditioning specialist. She also appears on “Fantasy Football Now” and the Fantasy Focus Football podcast.

The Philadelphia Phillies placed Zack Wheeler on the 15-day IL on Saturday due to a blood clot in his right arm. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Wheeler was diagnosed with a “right upper extremity blood clot,” and few other details were offered.

Wheeler had pitched Friday and was limited to five innings, later reporting what Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit referred to as “heaviness.” Heaviness is a description patients sometimes use when describing circulatory compromise that can occur as the result of a clot.

Blood clots in athletes can be caused by a number of factors. They can occur as the result of direct trauma, resulting in bleeding or swelling that contributes to clot formation. They can follow a period of immobilization (for instance, postsurgery when a limb is immobilized for a period, there can be an increased risk of clot formation). Genetic clotting disorders can be an origin source, but they are rare in an elite athlete. The most likely cause of clot formation in an elite athlete, particularly in the upper extremity of one who repeatedly subjects the arm to overhead stress, is thoracic outlet syndrome.

Thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when the first rib, or occasionally an extra rib, creates compression over the blood vessels and/or nerves as they exit the neck region under the clavicle (collarbone) and travel through the shoulder to the arm and hand. Overhead athletes — most notably, baseball pitchers along with softball players, volleyball players, rowers and swimmers — are most susceptible to clots in the shoulder area due to thoracic outlet syndrome.

play

0:27

Phillies ace Wheeler on 15-day IL with blood clot

Phillies ace Wheeler on 15-day IL with blood clot

Treatment for a clot in an elite athlete depends on the root cause. According to Dr. Jason Lee, chief of vascular surgery at Stanford — who treats high-performance athletes with these conditions, though he is not involved in Wheeler’s case — treatment can include any combination of blood thinners (for one to six months), thrombolysis (a catheter-based procedure to dissolve a clot) and, in the presence of rib compression, a potential rib resection to prevent future episodes. With appropriate treatment, athletes have a very high likelihood of returning to their pre-injury level of performance.

In cases where surgery is required, the results have been largely successful in allowing throwers to continue their careers. Examples include former New York Mets ace Matt Harvey, who underwent thoracic outlet surgery in 2016 and returned in 2017. Harvey struggled with other injuries but pitched until 2021, something he might not have been able to do without treatment.

In 2013, current Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young, then a pitcher with the Washington Nationals, underwent thoracic outlet surgery. He signed with the Mariners the following spring and received the American League Comeback Player of the Year award after pitching 165 innings.

It should be noted that both Harvey and Young underwent surgery for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (the nerve compression type, which is more common).

Editor’s Picks

1 Related

In 2012, Mets pitcher Dillon Gee had a slightly different situation. Gee had blood clots — one in his lung that was addressed medically and one in a shoulder artery that was addressed with thrombolysis — and he subsequently underwent surgery to repair the damaged artery.

A study published in the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine in 2022 looked specifically at the return rate and performance metrics of 26 MLB pitchers who had undergone rib resection to treat thoracic outlet syndrome. Within the study group, 81% returned to play during the study period. Perhaps more importantly, the surgical group showed no difference in postoperative career length or performance when compared with controls.

The Phillies have indicated that Wheeler will undergo further evaluation upon returning to Philadelphia. For now, the timeline is uncertain, but given the seriousness of the issue, there will be no rushing him back.



Source link

Tags: bloodclotexpectmeansWheelerZack
Previous Post

Tyson Fury: “”Moses Itauma Will Wreck All Them Old Men

Next Post

Falcons Sign Former Cowboys QB

Related Posts

Rangers hire Skip Schumaker as manager on four-year deal
MLB

Rangers hire Skip Schumaker as manager on four-year deal

October 4, 2025
MLB playoffs 2025: Offseason questions for eliminated teams
MLB

MLB playoffs 2025: Offseason questions for eliminated teams

October 4, 2025
Aaron Boone fires back at Buck Martinez’s Yankees criticism
MLB

Aaron Boone fires back at Buck Martinez’s Yankees criticism

October 4, 2025
Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff won’t be available in NLDS
MLB

Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff won’t be available in NLDS

October 4, 2025
Dillon Dingler leads charge as Tigers’ bats ‘flip’ script vs. Guardians
MLB

Dillon Dingler leads charge as Tigers’ bats ‘flip’ script vs. Guardians

October 3, 2025
2025 MLB playoffs: Repeating is hard. Are Dodgers different?
MLB

2025 MLB playoffs: Repeating is hard. Are Dodgers different?

October 3, 2025
Next Post
Falcons Sign Former Cowboys QB

Falcons Sign Former Cowboys QB

AC Milan chief confirms interest in Man United’s Højlund

AC Milan chief confirms interest in Man United's Højlund

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Away Attendances at the Weekend – 8th September 2025

Away Attendances at the Weekend – 8th September 2025

September 8, 2025
How to Buy COTA Tickets – 2025 United States Grand Prix

How to Buy COTA Tickets – 2025 United States Grand Prix

March 12, 2025
Is Max Verstappen in the mix to win the 2025 Drivers’ title?

Is Max Verstappen in the mix to win the 2025 Drivers’ title?

September 25, 2025
Marte, Steer power Cincinnati Reds over Pittsburgh, 14-8

Marte, Steer power Cincinnati Reds over Pittsburgh, 14-8

August 10, 2025
Arthur Jones, who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens, dies at 39

Arthur Jones, who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens, dies at 39

October 4, 2025
Fans urge Miami Heat to sign former MVP after Tyler Herro surgery news, ‘he’d immediately be the best player’

Fans urge Miami Heat to sign former MVP after Tyler Herro surgery news, ‘he’d immediately be the best player’

September 19, 2025
Anthony Davis could return to Mavericks’ lineup during upcoming Eastern road trip: Report

Anthony Davis could return to Mavericks’ lineup during upcoming Eastern road trip: Report

229
Getting with the programme | Arseblog … an Arsenal blog

Getting with the programme | Arseblog … an Arsenal blog

3
The longest an NCAA bracket has ever stayed perfect

The longest an NCAA bracket has ever stayed perfect

1
Hanshin Tigers shut out Cubs, Dodgers for back-to-back wins

Hanshin Tigers shut out Cubs, Dodgers for back-to-back wins

1
Avious Griffin Highlights Boxing Insider Promotion’s Card By Stopping Jose Luis Sanchez In 9.

Avious Griffin Highlights Boxing Insider Promotion’s Card By Stopping Jose Luis Sanchez In 9.

1
Akie Iwai leads at Hoakalei, with 8 players a shot back

Akie Iwai leads at Hoakalei, with 8 players a shot back

0
Bronny James cold in 1st Lakers preseason game; Redick praises

Bronny James cold in 1st Lakers preseason game; Redick praises

October 4, 2025
Rangers hire Skip Schumaker as manager on four-year deal

Rangers hire Skip Schumaker as manager on four-year deal

October 4, 2025
Relive FP3 as Verstappen sets the pace from Piastri and Russell in extremely tight session ahead of Singapore Grand Prix

Relive FP3 as Verstappen sets the pace from Piastri and Russell in extremely tight session ahead of Singapore Grand Prix

October 4, 2025
Aces Bench Delivers 41 16 Scoring Edge In WNBA Finals Game 1 Victory

Aces Bench Delivers 41 16 Scoring Edge In WNBA Finals Game 1 Victory

October 4, 2025
Week 6 Games to Watch

Week 6 Games to Watch

October 4, 2025
College football Week 6 preview: Take our pregame quiz and catch up on essential reading

College football Week 6 preview: Take our pregame quiz and catch up on essential reading

October 4, 2025
Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn TikTok Pinterest
Got Action

Stay updated with the latest sports news, highlights, and expert analysis at Got Action. From football to basketball, we cover all your favorite sports. Get your daily dose of action now!

CATEGORIES

  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Football
  • Formula 1
  • Golf
  • MLB
  • MMA
  • NBA
  • NCAA Baseball
  • NCAA Basketball
  • NCAA Football
  • NCAA Sport
  • NFL
  • NHL
  • Tennis
  • Uncategorized

SITEMAP

  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Submit Press Release
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us

Copyright © 2025 Got Action.
Got Action is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • NCAA
    • NCAA Football
    • NCAA Basketball
    • NCAA Baseball
    • NCAA Sport
  • Baseball
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • MLB
  • Formula 1
  • MMA
  • Boxing
  • Tennis
  • Golf
  • Sports Picks
Submit Press Release

Copyright © 2025 Got Action.
Got Action is not responsible for the content of external sites.