phillies takeaways zack wheeler not concerned harrison baders defense help on the way
phillies takeaways zack wheeler not concerned harrison baders defense help on the way
ARLINGTON, Texas — The fourth pitch to Joc Pederson was well inside, a fastball forcing him to lean back in the box so it would not hit his legs.
It was Zack Wheeler’s fourth straight throw that did not get near the target catcher J.T. Realmuto set. The count turned 4-0. Pederson reached first. But the third inning ended on the next pitch, a sweeper turned flyout.
It was that kind of day for Wheeler. There was trouble. His velocity tumbled. He walked three batters, his most since June 25. But Wheeler, as he often does, got out of it and still struck out seven as the Phillies beat the Texas Rangers 4-2 on Sunday, completing a series sweep.
“I’m not concerned,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Wheeler. “They’re working at some stuff, and he just looks a little bit out of sync. The velocity’s not there, but his secondary stuff was good. He got a lot of whiffs.”
Wheeler’s final line — five innings, three hits, two earned runs, three walks, seven strikeouts — seems competitive, not worrisome. But that’s only if you ignore the spotty command, the falling velocity and complaints of right shoulder stiffness after his last start that prompted two extra days of rest.
The shoulder had been bothering him awhile, Wheeler said, so the Phillies had imaging done to find what specifically needed to be treated. He felt normal Sunday.
But Wheeler’s velocity has fallen across all of his pitches except his splitter over the past month. His fastball averaged 96.7 mph in June. The pitch did not reach more than 95.5 mph Sunday. His sinker, which hit 95.9 mph in June, topped out at 94.1 mph against Texas.
“I’m not concerned,” Wheeler said. “I’ve pitched at that velo before. It will come back.”
Wheeler has not been quite right since his complete game against the Cincinnati Reds in early July. Before then, his season ERA was 2.27. Entering Sunday, he had a 4.94 ERA in the four starts after the complete game. Fastball command has been the biggest struggle, with diminished velocity playing a role as well. Still, “struggling” for Wheeler remains relative; in his last multi-walk game (July 27) before Sunday, he struck out eight.
A strong rotation has been the Phillies’ calling card. Should Wheeler need to fully skip a start, they have options. They were already considering a six-man rotation upon Aaron Nola’s return from the injured list. Taijuan Walker has been serviceable, finding success as the Phillies’ fifth man. Nola could come back in a week’s time. The Phillies could turn to a six-man or skip Wheeler, if necessary, without issue at that point.
Thomson said the extra time off could have affected Wheeler’s velocity versus the Rangers. There was no plan to pull him early Sunday, but Thomson did so after 83 pitches because he felt Wheeler looked out of sync.
“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Thomson said. “That will be the telltale sign.”
A case for Harrison Bader
Wheeler’s near-middle fastball sounded sharp off Corey Seager’s bat in the fifth, hurtling toward right-center. Harrison Bader and Nick Castellanos backed toward the wall, where Bader jumped and extended his left arm at the wall for the catch.
“Unbelievable,” Thomson said.
WE’D LIKE TO REPORT A ROBBERY pic.twitter.com/Ivy3tveVTq
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 10, 2025
It was a play that, arguably, no other current Phillies outfielder could have made. This is why the Phillies acquired Bader: not just to spark the offense, but also to provide solid defense. The 2021 Gold Glove Award-winning center fielder has delivered.
After sitting in his first game with the organization, Bader has played seven games with the Phillies. He has hit .150/.261/.300 in 23 plate appearances and scored four runs. Overall this season, he’s hitting .251/.333/.430 for a .763 OPS.
His performance is one datapoint in the outfield roulette, which the Phillies continued to play over the weekend. Thomson gave each outfielder a game off, citing the hard turf at Globe Life Field. But he said he also wanted to see everyone play to determine “who’s hot, who’s not.”
“To me, I’m not so sure why everybody keeps talking about the outfield because it’s been doing OK,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told The Athletic. “It doesn’t matter to me who plays where or who plays versus who as long as they do well. (Brandon) Marsh has been doing well. Castellanos has been solid. Bader’s part of it now at this point.”
But there is an argument to be made for Bader seeing everyday playing time. He has reverse splits this season, with a .704 OPS against lefties and a .789 OPS against righties. There is a difference there, but less volatility in how he hits same-handed pitchers compared with Marsh or (Max) Kepler. Castellanos, whom Thomson views as an everyday player, also has relatively similar splits against lefties and righties (.711 OPS against righties, .767 against lefties).
Bader’s defense is a difference-maker. He ranks in the top 20 among MLB outfielders in outs above average with five. Castellanos is last with minus-11. Kepler has minus-1. Marsh has zero. It is similar with defensive runs saved, as Bader ranks sixth among outfielders with 13. Castellanos is second-to-last with minus-14. Marsh is fifth worst with minus-8. Kepler has minus-1.
What’s happening in Allentown?
It has been a busy couple of weeks for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
David Robertson came and went. José Alvarado began an assignment with the IronPigs on Thursday, ramping up as he nears the completion of his 80-game suspension for using a performance-enhancing drug. Alec Bohm (left rib fracture) began a rehab assignment Sunday. Nola has made two rehab starts and will make a third Tuesday, potentially rejoining the big-league rotation afterward.
What does it all mean? Well, the Phillies are nearing a level of roster strength they haven’t seen all season.
Nola has been on the IL since May 16. Alvarado was suspended May 18. Bohm was slashing .278/.324/.391 with a .715 OPS before hitting the IL on July 19.
They will rejoin a roster that now features closer Jhoan Duran and Bader, along with one of baseball’s top rotations and Kyle Schwarber slugging his way into the MVP conversation. And the Phillies, now 5 1/2 games up on the Mets in the division, have more help on the way soon.
(Top photo of Harrison Bader: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)
