Zack Wheeler makes first start for Lehigh Valley, talks ‘Rehab Ribs Night’ promo

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — With a barbecue rib buffet behind him in the left-field stands, Zack Wheeler officially started the clock to count down to his big-league return. The ace Phillies pitcher, sidelined since last August and missing a rib due to the surgery he underwent to correct his thoracic outlet syndrome, began a minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday afternoon.

And the IronPigs, as any opportunistic farm team would have done, capitalized on the All-Star’s appearance with an all-you-can-eat “Rehab Ribs Night” for $46.41 a ticket.

“It’s a little aggressive,” Wheeler joked. “It made my bone hurt a little bit and it’s not even there. Whatever can help these guys out. It’s Minor League Baseball, and they run a bunch of promotions.”

Wheeler threw three scoreless innings for Lehigh Valley at Coca-Cola Park, scattering a pair of hits and walking one batter. He stuck out three, all in the first inning, and tossed 38 pitches, a bit short of his targeted count of 45. But Wheeler got his work in, and he felt as he expected.

The temperature was 45 degrees when Wheeler fired his first pitch, a four-seam fastball down the pipe at 93 mph for a called strike, and the wind was a factor during the game. That’s what the right-hander signed up for when he made to call to come up north at the end of spring training.

On the final day of Phillies camp, Wheeler threw a two-inning simulated game against minor leaguers at the club’s Carpenter Complex in Florida. Instead of staying back in Clearwater, he wanted to face better hitters in a more game-like setting.

“It was really my choice,” Wheeler said. “I wanted it to be more competitive at-bats in a more competitive situation. I knew it was going to be cold, but at the end of the day, this is probably where I need to be, facing hitters.”

Wheeler recorded all three outs in the top of the first via the strikeout, working around two baserunners on a walk and a single. His fastball topped out at 94.3 mph. By the third, his velocity was down just a notch, peaking at 92.5 mph in the frame.

“It was a tick up from what it has been,” Wheeler said. “The last inning, it was down just a hair — probably to be expected.”

He had a good feel for his curveball, and he liked the way he pitched out of the stretch. He threw his full mix of pitches. It wasn’t perfect, but it was another positive development. He’s moving through this recovery quite quickly, and he’ll be back in the big leagues before the end of April, barring any setbacks.

Wheeler, calling himself a “realistic guy,” knows that it might not be a 100% smooth path toward the Phillies’ rotation, but he’s looking a lot like himself pretty early. He’s set to make two or three more starts in the minors in preparation for his return to the big leagues, and he’s game for whatever wacky promotion he might find along the way.

“Whatever makes a little bit of money,” Wheeler said, “I’m here for it, I guess.”