The Philadelphia Phillies closed last season as one of baseball’s most successful regular-season teams. After trailing the New York Mets by five games, they surged to finish with 96 wins, the second-most in Major League Baseball, and won the National League East by 13 games. That performance set expectations high, but the postseason unfolded differently. Philadelphia was eliminated in the National League Division Series, losing three games to one against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who later won the World Series.
On August 16, starting pitcher Zack Wheeler was placed on the injured list with a blood clot near his right shoulder. At the time, Wheeler was 35 years old and in the midst of a standout season, posting a 10–5 record, a 2.70 ERA, and 195 strikeouts across 149 2/3 innings. His season ended after undergoing thrombolysis to remove the clot, followed by thoracic outlet decompression surgery related to thoracic outlet syndrome. The Phillies reported the procedures went well, but the injury introduced uncertainty that extended into the following year, with expectations that Wheeler could miss at least part of the 2026 season.
Despite losing their ace, Philadelphia’s rotation remained one of the league’s most effective units, finishing with a 3.53 ERA that led the NL and ranked second in MLB. Still, Wheeler’s absence created a clear gap at the top of the rotation, and that uncertainty has influenced both roster decisions and early betting markets for 2026.
Caesars opened the Phillies at +1100 to win the World Series in early November. DraftKings later listed them at 11–1, or +500, in an ESPN-published odds table dated December 1, while FanDuel posted the Phillies at +1000 around the same period. In National League futures markets, Philadelphia appeared in the +500 to +650 range, consistently behind the Dodgers, who were listed as the overall favorite across books. Player markets reflected similar caution. Wheeler was listed at +1500 to win the National League Cy Young Award at Covers, while BetMGM showed him at 13.00 in decimal odds. BetMGM also posted the Phillies’ regular-season win total at 92.5, a number tied closely to the health of the rotation.
Those numbers echoed how quickly markets had moved during the previous season. BetMGM opened the Phillies at +1100 to win the World Series on October 30, 2024. As the team continued to win in 2025, the odds shortened to +1000 in June, +900 in July, +800 in August, +750 at the start of September, and +425 by September 24.
Against that backdrop, the Phillies added depth rather than a direct replacement for Wheeler. On Tuesday, the team agreed to sign left-hander Tucker Davidson to a minor league contract, according to MLB correspondent Will Sammon of The Athletic. Davidson, 29, brings postseason experience to an organization that expects to reach the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season.
Davidson was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 19th round out of Midland College in Texas. He gained attention in 2019 after posting a 2.15 ERA with 134 strikeouts in 129 2/3 innings in the minor leagues. That performance led to his first major league call-up during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and additional time with Atlanta in 2021. Entering 2022, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 8 prospect in the Braves organization.
During the Braves’ 2021 postseason run, Davidson started Game 5 of the World Series against the Houston Astros. He allowed two runs on four hits and three walks over the first two innings and was removed two batters into the third inning by manager Brian Snitker. Atlanta lost that game but won Game 6 to secure the World Series title in six games.
After the championship season, the Braves traded Davidson to the Los Angeles Angels in 2022 as part of the deal that sent Raisel Iglesias to Atlanta. Davidson later pitched for three Major League teams before signing with the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization for the 2025 season. He made 22 starts for Lotte, recording a 3.65 ERA, a 22.5 percent strikeout rate, a 9.1 percent walk rate, and a 46.4 percent ground-ball rate. Despite those results, the Giants released him in August. Davidson finished the year in the Milwaukee Brewers organization and was released on October 12.
Davidson’s signing gives the Phillies another experienced arm as they manage rotation depth without a defined return date for Wheeler, whose recovery remains a central focus. According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, manager Rob Thomson provided an encouraging update, saying the team’s trainers believe Wheeler is “doing very well.” The Phillies have not set expectations for Wheeler’s return in 2026, but he has begun throwing from 75 feet as part of his recovery. Ty Daubert of Phillies Nation reported that the recommended recovery window from the surgery is six to eight months, leaving open the possibility of availability near the start of the season if progress continues.
Before the injury, Wheeler was in the midst of one of the most complete seasons of his 11-year career. In 24 starts, he posted a 2.71 ERA, a 0.935 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts across 149 2/3 innings. Over six seasons with Philadelphia, his record includes a 2.91 ERA, a 69–37 mark in 157 starts, three All-Star selections, and four top-10 finishes in National League Cy Young Award voting. Wheeler has also stated that he plans to retire once his contract expires after the 2027 season, adding further significance to his recovery timeline and the Phillies’ roster planning.
