Unfortunately for the Philadelphia Phillies, they will be without their ace for the remainder of the season.

The team announced via the Phillies’ official X account that ace Zack Wheeler would need season-ending surgery. Wheeler had previously been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and surgery was recommended as the best recovery option.

Wheeler was placed on the injured list last week due to a blood clot near his shoulder. It was unclear if he’d be able to return from that, but there was a bit of hope he’d be able to.

We now know that he will not be able to return and will miss both the remainder of the regular season as well as the postseason.

Wheeler was having a Cy Young Award-type season, as he was 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA and 195 strikeouts across 149 2/3 innings. Without the injury, Wheeler was headed toward a second-place finish in Cy Young voting.

Earlier this season, it was reported that Wheeler is intending to retire after his current contract expires in 2027. He will be 37 years old when his contract runs out and it is unclear if those plans will now change after he will be forced to miss what could potentially two more months of baseball for Philadelphia.

Wheeler’s production every fifth day is nearly irreplaceable, and the rotation will certainly have to step up if it has aspirations of another deep October run.