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Phillies ace Zack Wheeler is headed to the injured list with a blood clot near his right shoulder, the team announced Saturday.

The Philadelphia Phillies will be without star pitcher Zack Wheeler for the foreseeable future. The right-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a blood clot near his right shoulder, a troubling diagnosis that sent shockwaves through one of baseball’s best teams.

As the Phillies try to figure out the best way forward, they’re hoping for the best for their staff ace.

“Get him in here and get him healthy, that’s the biggest thing,” Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber said, via MLB.com’s Byron Kerr. “Baseball is baseball. When it comes to someone’s health like that, we need him healthy first.

“He’s got a family. So, we want to get him feeling good for them and then get him back to speed whenever we can.”

How Much Time Will Zack Wheeler Miss?

Wheeler last pitched Friday against the Washington Nationals, throwing 97 pitches over five innings in a 6-2 win. He allowed two runs on four hits while striking out six.

While Wheeler displayed no obvious signs of distress during his start, he reportedly complained afterward of “a little heaviness” on his right shoulder.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Wheeler will be evaluated by doctors Monday in Philadelphia.

The Phillies have yet to put a timetable on Wheeler’s return. While they certainly hope Wheeler can return in time for their playoff chase, his health is the team’s biggest concern.

Schwarber called it a “scary” situation, and fellow pitcher Taijuan Walker said the team is praying he recovers quickly.

Added Thomson, via MLB.com: “We don’t know the timeline and I’m thinking a lot about Zack and his family because it’s not a hamstring injury or something like that.”

For what it’s worth, the Phillies do not believe the clot is related to Wheeler’s previous shoulder soreness, which caused his start against the Texas Rangers on Aug. 10 to be pushed back two days.

How Will Zack Wheeler’s Absence Impact the Phillies?

Wheeler, 35, was putting together another strong season for the Phillies, going 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA in 149.2 innings. Entering Sunday, his 195 strikeouts led the majors.

Wheeler made his second consecutive All-Star team last month and was a top contender for the National League Cy Young Award, along with Paul Skenes and teammate Christopher Sanchez.

Last season, Wheeler was the runner-up for Cy Young to Chris Sale.

Since missing two full seasons earlier in his career with elbow issues, Wheeler has been one of baseball’s most durable pitchers. Wheeler has made at least 30 starts in four of the past six seasons and has twice worked 200 innings or more, a rarity in today’s game.

How Will the Phillies Replace Zack Wheeler?

Right-hander Aaron Nola struggled in his return to the Phillies’ rotation, allowing six runs in 2.1 innings in an 11-9 win over the Nationals. Nola — whose ERA rose to 6.92 — had been out since May 14 with ankle and rib injuries.

The Phillies had wanted to go to a six-man rotation with Nola back. However, it is hard to envision that happening now.

The Phillies entered Sunday with a 5.0-game lead on the New York Mets atop the NL East.

Douglas Bonjour is a breaking news contributor covering the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy. He is also a contributing writer for The Associated Press and has worked for Point Spreads, the Connecticut Post and Hearst Connecticut Media as a reporter and editor. More about Douglas Bonjour