Philadelphia Phillies: Contrasts in the Medical Department
Washington – The Philadelphia Phillies experienced a weekend with mixed news in the medical field. On the one hand, they received good news about Dominican reliever Jhoan Durán, who avoided a serious injury after being hit in the right ankle. However, they also suffered a setback with the absence of their ace, Zack Wheeler, due to a blood clot in his shoulder. Durán left Friday’s game against the Nationals after being hit by a pitch in the leg during the ninth inning. Concern was high, as the pitcher couldn’t put weight on his foot and had to be stretchered off. Fortunately, the next day, Durán himself assured that he was fully recovered.The X-rays were negative. According to manager Rob Thomson, the impact affected a nerve, causing a temporary “dead foot”, but without bone consequences. Thomson confirmed that Duran was available for rescue situations. Wheeler’s situation caused concern after being placed on the injured list due to a blood clot near his right shoulder. Dave Dombrowski, president of operations, indicated that there is no set date for the pitcher’s return, who was having an outstanding season. Wheeler, runner-up for the National League Cy Young in 2024, has been one of the most dominant pitchers of the season. The absence of Wheeler coincides with the return of Aaron Nola, who was scheduled to start on Sunday against the Nationals after recovering from a stress fracture in a rib and a sprained right ankle. Nola struck out 11 batters in his last rehab outing. With Durán in good shape and Nola back, the Phillies hope to remain competitive for the rest of the season, although Wheeler’s condition will be crucial to their aspirations in October.“I let go of my arm and I feel better than yesterday… now I’m normal, as if nothing had happened,” declared Durán.
Jhoan Durán
