Zack Wheeler

Wheeler's first season in Philadelphia was a success, in that he had the lowest ERA of his career (2.92) and a strong 1.17 WHIP. But his strikeout numbers plummeted, as he struck out just 18.4% of batters. The whiff rate on all of Wheeler's pitches, other than his "show me" curveball, dropped significantly, despite the fact that his velocity remained the same. If Wheeler can again excel at completely limiting hard contact like he did last season (his 85.7 MPH average exit velocity allowed ranked in the top 10% in baseball), then he can probably get away with the lack of strikeouts. Otherwise, he's unlikely to repeat his 2020 success. Given the shortened season, it's a good bet that Wheeler's strikeouts will bounce back, and you can slot him in as an SP3 without much worry.

Zack Wheeler recently undergoes a fingernail procedure

The Phillies announced that RHP Zack Wheeler recently underwent a right middle finger resection procedure.

Fantasy Impact

Wheeler infamously ripped a fingernail on his pitching hand while putting on a pair of pants in September. This procedure isn't considered serious and Wheeler is expected to be at full health come spring training.