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Phillies notes: Zack Wheeler closes in, Zach Pop goes to injured list
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- Phillies notes: Zack Wheeler closes in, Zach Pop goes to injured list
Phillies notes: Zack Wheeler closes in, Zach Pop goes to injured list originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Serious progress has been made. Zack Wheeler is getting close to a return to the Phillies ' rotation.
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That is big news for both the ace and the organization.
On Tuesday, the 35-year-old made his fourth rehab start, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and striking out nine. Wheeler punched out five of the first six batters he faced.
It was another encouraging sign in his buildup, especially because he touched 95 mph with his fastball for the first time in the recovery process.
Rob Thomson called the outing "very encouraging."
"He went through the minimum through five, was 92 to 95, so he touched 95," Thomson said Tuesday. "That was good. He said he felt good after the outing. Somebody asked him if he was starting to run out of gas, and he said no, I felt good even at the end."
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Wheeler, who Thomson said felt good again on Wednesday, will make one more rehab start Sunday in Bridgewater, N.J. The plan is for him to throw around 90 pitches.
And while Thomson hinted Tuesday that a sixth rehab outing was still possible, there is no strong indication yet that it will be necessary. The Phillies are going to let Wheeler's body and stuff guide the decision from here.
When asked Wednesday whether a sixth rehab start was under consideration, Thomson said, "We haven't really talked about it. We'll just see how it goes."
At this point, Wheeler appears to have a very real chance to return to the big league club next weekend, when the Phillies head to Atlanta .
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POP TO IL, BACKHUS RETURNS
In a three-day stretch, the Phillies have now lost two relievers to the injured list.
First, on Monday, they placed Jonathan Bowlan on the 15-day injured list. Then on Wednesday, right-hander Zach Pop joined him there.
Pop, who has posted a 3.68 ERA through his first seven appearances with the club, suffered a right calf strain on Tuesday night after his opener outing on Sunday. He allowed one run over two innings in that appearance.
Thomson described it as a mild strain.
"Zach was doing some agility work after the game last night and just felt something in his right calf," Thomson said Wednesday.
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It has been a solid start for the 29-year-old, especially with the development of his sinker. To begin the year, opponents were hitting just .111 against the pitch, which he has thrown 62.3 percent of the time. That has led to the type of ground-ball profile the Phillies were hoping to get from him.
To fill Pop's spot, the club recalled Kyle Backhus from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He had originally been optioned when Orion Kerkering came off the injured list.
After allowing three runs in his Phillies debut on Opening Day, the left-handed submariner turned in three scoreless outings after that.
Backhus also gives the Phillies another left-handed option after Tim Mayza and Tanner Banks were both used Tuesday. Thomson noted that Backhus is in a good spot physically and could give them length if needed.
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"Backhus was good. Just had a couple days off," Thomson said. "He can give us probably maybe two innings today."
Jesús Luzardo gets the ball Wednesday as he looks to bounce back after allowing five runs in his last outing against the Diamondbacks .
