00:00I know it's a little out of sight, out of mind, but what's the next step for Zach Wheeler in
00:04his rehab assignment?
00:05It's actually less out of sight than I thought it would be.
00:07I wasn't sure when spring training started that we'd be talking about him in minor league games yet.
00:12I was there in Lehigh on Saturday. I thought he looked really good.
00:16I said to someone, if you were at that game, you didn't know his story.
00:20You didn't know that he'd had this major surgery.
00:22I'm not sure you would have known.
00:24I mean, it wasn't peak velocity, Zach Wheeler, but it was still 93, 94.
00:30It was still a crazy good breaking ball.
00:34He threw everything, which was four or five different pitches.
00:38I'm not sure you would have known.
00:40So he's going to pitch Friday in Durham.
00:43He actually is traveling to Durham to pitch for Lehigh Valley there.
00:48That's going to be about five innings, they say, 50 pitches, 50, 55 pitches.
00:54Thereabouts.
00:55And then he's going to pitch again next week.
00:58They haven't said which day yet, but if I'm guessing, it's going to be probably Thursday in Lehigh Valley at
01:04home for them.
01:06And then they'll reassess.
01:08So, I mean, that would be, you know, three minor league starts.
01:12Still think he probably gets a fourth?
01:15Maybe not.
01:15And, you know, if he doesn't, next Thursday would be, what, the ninth?
01:22That probably puts him back in the rotation, like in the middle of April.
01:27If he gets one more, it would be sort of that last week of April.
01:31So, it's crazy because it's barely six months since he had the thoracic outlet surgery and he's coming back.
01:38So, they're not rushing this.
01:41He's hit all the checkpoints and he's ahead of schedule.
01:45So, I tend to think they'll give him a fourth because I do think they want to make sure, they
01:49want to, like, triple check that he's ready.
01:52But, you know, it's going to be before May 1st, that's for sure.
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