Phillies ace right-hander Zack Wheeler is out for the rest of the season, the team announced Saturday. Wheeler, 35, has been diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), and the recommendation was to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks. Such a procedure typically has a recovery time of six to eight months.

The Zack Wheeler injury hit like a ton of bricks for Philadelphia Phillies fans. There has been so much mounting optimism around this team. A real sense that, y

It's going to take everyone across the board to pick up the slack that will be felt from Wheeler's absence, but a lot of the ownness is going to fall on the right shoulder of Aaron Nola, the team's former ace who has begun to noticeably decline these past two years.