Photo by Michael G. Baron of SNY.
Updated by Mitch Petanick on May 17, 2013
Adam Rubin has reported that Zack Wheeler is scheduled to start throwing again today, and is back with the team in Las Vegas. He was placed on the seven day DL, retroactive to his last start. He will rejoin the rotation next Wednesday when the team is in Iowa.
Wheeler received a cortisone shot last Wednesday after being diagnosed with inflammation of the AC joint in his throwing shoulder. He is still expected to only miss one start, which would have been on Saturday of this week.
Updated by Joe D. on May 15, 2013
Zack Wheeler has been diagnosed with slight inflammation in the AC joint in his shoulder, and will miss one start, according to Assistant GM John Ricco.
Wheeler received a cortisone shot at the Hospital for Special Surgery in his right shoulder and is flying to rejoin his team at Triple-A Las Vegas.
We spoke to his agent a few minutes ago who said there is no structural damage and that he is in good spirits.
That said, until I see Wheeler back on the mound pitching again, I will remain concerned.
It’s just the Mets fan in me.  🙂
Get back on that mound soon, Zack…
Original Post May 14, 2013
Zack Wheeler has a sore right clavicle, and will fly to New York to be examined by team doctors tomorrow at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.
“I think we’re being a little conservative,” assistant GM John Ricco told reporters about the Mets top prospect. Wheeler had already met with the team doctor in Las Vegas.
That said, Ricco added that Wheeler will not make his scheduled start on Saturday in Omaha.
Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Wheeler will undergo an MRI exam on his collarbone while in New York.
Terry Collins commented on this and said:
“From what I’ve heard today, it doesn’t sound serious. But any time you miss a start, it’s for the best interest of the player. We’ll wait to hear the doctor’s report and go from there. If it’s only one start, that’s certainly something we can handle easily.”
After a rough start to the season. Wheeler made a mechanical adjustment and has had incredible success over his last three starts for Triple-A Las Vegas and walked only three while posting a 1.35 ERA.
Overall, the right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.74 ERA for the season with 18 walks and 47 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched.
While the team calls this precautionary and conservative, any kind of soreness in the surrounding shoulder area should be a cause for some concern.
Thoughts From Mitch Petanick:
I’m hoping for the best here, but preparing for the worst. What I am worried most about is the fact that Zack Wheeler pitches using a delivery called the “Inverted W,” which could put added stress on the anterior labrum ligament in the shoulder — it slowly loosens the ligament and can actually lead to tears. Some pitchers use this delivery and go through their careers injury free, but many of them suffer injuries that require surgery…like John Smoltz and Stephen Strasburg.
Wheeler also recently tweaked his mechanics, which is what his improved control is accredited to, but could that mechanical fix in addition with the Inverted W delivery been enough to cause this shoulder discomfort? I guess we will find out after his MRI, but even precautionary MRIs are a cause for concern.
The Inverted W is like playing with fire…you can get burned.
Thoughts from Matt Musico:
It sounds like sending Wheeler to the Hospital for Special Surgery to get his sore clavicle checked out is precautionary, but that only goes so far for my nerves. I (like everyone else) will be anxiously waiting to find out whether or not this discomfort will be more serious than him missing his scheduled start, which was slated for Saturday in Omaha. I hope this ends up being minor, as Wheeler was just starting to gain steam toward a potential promotion following his last three starts, which included 19 strikeouts against only three walks in 20 innings pitched.
