Zack Wheeler makes second rehab start with Lehigh Valley Zack Wheeler faced challenges in his second rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday night, though his performance showed promise despite a costly error. The three-time All-Star was one out away from completing three scoreless innings against the Durham Bulls when a defensive miscue disrupted the momentum. With two runners on and two outs, Raynel Delgado hit a fly ball to left-center field that seemed destined to end the threat. However, the ball landed between left fielder Óscar Mercado and center fielder Pedro León, allowing both runners to score. Wheeler then struck out the next batter before falling behind 3-0 against Jacob Melton. Melton crushed a three-run homer to right field on a 3-0 pitch, extending the Phillies’ lead. Wheeler retired the final batter of the inning but was forced to exit after a 27-pitch frame. His outing resulted in five runs allowed, four hits, two walks, and just one strikeout over three innings. Phillies manager Rob Thomson praised Wheeler’s performance, noting he was “pretty sharp” for the first two innings. Thomson highlighted that Wheeler threw 22 pitches in the first two frames before losing command in the third, leading to several arm-side misses. Despite the struggles, the manager remained optimistic about Wheeler’s progress. “It’s still [like] Spring Training for him,” Thomson said, emphasizing that the dip in velocity was expected. Wheeler’s four-seam fastball averaged 92.7 mph, with a top speed of 93.9 mph, slightly below his first rehab start a week earlier, which saw a peak of 94.3 mph. Thomson downplayed concerns about the velocity drop, stating that additional innings and pitches would likely improve his effectiveness.#rob_thomson #zack_wheeler #lehigh_valley #raynel_delgado #oscar_mercado
