Phillies Ace Zack Wheeler Out for Season

In their quest to win their first World Series title since 2008, the Phillies have been dealt a devastating blow.

Philadelphia pitcher Zach Wheeler will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, the team announced Saturday afternoon. Wheeler, 35, leads the National League in strikeouts (195) and WHIP (0.94); his 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings lead all of baseball.

"The recommendation is to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks," the Phillies' statement said. "Details of the surgery are forthcoming."

Venous thoracic outlet syndrome is a rare blood-clotting disease; Wheeler successfully had one such clot removed on Monday. The three-time All-Star last pitched on Aug. 15, taking a no-decision in a five-inning outing in a 6–2 Philadelphia win over the Nationals.

The Phillies lead the Mets by six games in the NL East division, and are eying their second straight divisional crown.