What does it mean for Zack Wheeler and Phillies the diagnosis for which he will lose the rest of the year?

The pitcher must undergo a surgical process and will not launch for the coming months, being a sensitive decrease for playoff aspirations of the philadelphia team.

For several days, the health status of the pitcher of Philadelphia Phillies, Zack Wheelerone of the main candidates for the award Cy Young of the National League In 2025, he has been on the mat, after the team announced the removal of a blood clot of his right shoulder and the subsequent diagnosis that the player suffers from the syndrome of the thoracic venous gorge, which has been recommended to undergo surgery.

Their own Phillies They have indicated, through a press release, that the recovery and rehabilitation period is between six and eight months, which could even doubt that it can start the 2026 season with the team, depending on when it is subjected to surgery and if the subsequent process presents any type of delay or complication.

For the purpose of understanding what this diagnosis means to Wheeler and for the Phillies, Digital AM850 consulted with the doctor Julissa Severino Espaillatwho is vascular surgeon in the Dominican Republic.

“Venous thoracic gorge syndrome is the compression and thrombosis of the axilosubclavia vein at its exit from the rib cage and is known as stress thrombosis or Paget-Schroetter syndrome; It is the most frequent vascular disorder in competition athletes. Also, the syndrome can be presented only with symptoms, called intermittent obstruction or McCleery syndrome”He said Severino Espaillat to Digital AM850while citing different sources that indicate that the syndrome affects one in every one hundred thousand people per year and is more frequent in young men, between 25-40 years.

“The most frequent symptoms, especially in athletes that perform repetitive activities above the head, such as baseball player, swimmers or lift weights: they are pain, edema that goes from the shoulder to the hand, with cyanosis, heaviness, fatigue and congestion of subcutaneous veins”Added the medical expert.

Once the syndrome is detected and diagnosed, through multiple studies, the treatment of this is one that entails several stages.

“The initial treatment should be anticoagulation and thrombolysis, then surgical decompression (Resection of the first rib together with the removal or division of the anterior scalene, and the removal of the subclavian muscle and the perivenous scar) And, if necessary, angioplasty with ball”, He points out Severino Espaillat.

“The prognosis for patients with venous thoracic gorge syndrome is quite good after surgical decompression, and most athletes can recover their previous sports capacity”Added the expert.

In MLBthis is a syndrome that has been seen, mainly, in pitchers, and after their return, the results have been mixed. Names like Josh Beckett, Matt Harvey and Stephen Strasburg They have been affected by the health condition and none could be the same type of pitcher, especially Strasburg, who did not return to launching MLB and announced his retirement in 2023. Other cases, such as Merrill Kelly They have been of greater success.

According to sources consulted by Digital AM850in the last 25 years, 22 players have had to submit surgery for this syndrome of which six returned with limitations, six suffered from other physical components that hindered their return, five opted for retreat and another five had a successful return and prolonged their careers.

It remains to wait to see if Wheelerwho was in the middle of an extraordinary campaign with the Philliesmay return to the mound being as dominant as before surgery or if it will join the cases of large pitchers who could not be restored after returning from the syndrome.

This article was made with information provided by the doctor Julissa Severino Espaillatvascular doctor-virujano of the Dominican Republic. The doctor Severino Espaillat He has his professional practice at the United Hearts Clinic and at the Diabetes, Obesity and Specialties Medical Center (CEMDOE), in the Dominican capital.