Zack Wheeler Wins NL Comeback Player of the Year After 193-Strikeout Return

Q: With a high success rate for TOS surgeries, is Wheeler's remarkable comeback actually the new medical standard for injured pitchers?

No. Wheeler’s return looks less like a new baseline and more like an excellent outcome within an improving medical model. The evidence around thoracic outlet syndrome, especially the venous form Wheeler had, is more encouraging than baseball once believed. A 2024 study of 52 professional players who underwent TOS surgery found that 79% returned to play at the same or higher level, with pitchers making up most of the sample and the average return coming in about 9.5 months. Wheeler’s timetable fits that pattern closely: surgery after his 2025 season, return in late April, and a full season of availability. But “returned to play” is not the same as “returned as an ace.” That is where Wheeler still stands out. He did not just come back; he made 28 starts, missed no turns after April 25, posted a 3.00 ERA and struck out 193 in 162 innings. For a 36-year-old pitcher coming off rib-removal decompression surgery and a blood clot near his shoulder, that level of durability and performance remains uncommon. Medical expectations have clearly shifted. TOS surgery is no longer automatically treated as a near-career-ending diagnosis for pitchers, and a successful return to the majors is now realistic. Even so, the condition remains serious, outcomes still vary by athlete and subtype, and elite performance after surgery is not guaranteed. So Wheeler’s comeback is best viewed as evidence that the standard has improved, not that his specific result is now standard.

3 articles · Updated · The Philadelphia Inquirer · Nov 12

Zack Wheeler claimed the NL Comeback Player of the Year award after returning from venous thoracic outlet syndrome to post a 3.00 ERA with 193 strikeouts in 162 innings.
August 2025 surgery followed a blood clot near his right shoulder and thoracic outlet decompression that included removal of a rib, a procedure that has ended some pitchers' careers.
April 25 marked Wheeler's return from the injured list against Atlanta, and he did not miss another start the rest of the season.
The Phillies right-hander became the club's first winner of the award since Brad Lidge in 2008 and had already been voted the Players Association's Comeback Player of the Year by his peers.