PHILADELPHIA — It’s Zack to the future for the No. 2 component of the Mets’ talented rotation.
Zack Wheeler’s 2018 season officially ended Wednesday, when manager Mickey Callaway announced a shutdown for the right-hander because of workload concerns. Wheeler will be replaced in the rotation for his final two starts by rookie Corey Oswalt.
“I feel good for the most part,” Wheeler said before the Mets finished their series against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. “My body, after this long, is starting to wear down a little bit, but if I really needed to, for the playoff push, I could go out there and finish it up. That is not why I am stopping, it’s just being smart.”
The 28-year-old Wheeler’s workload jumped 101 innings from last season, when he was shut down in July with a stress reaction in his right arm. In a meeting with team officials and medical staff, Wheeler was told the organization wanted to take the safer approach and end his season healthy. Wheeler’s breakout season ended 12-7 with a 3.31 ERA in 29 starts and 182 ¹/₃ innings. His best work came after the All-Star break, when he joined NL Cy Young hopeful Jacob deGrom to give the Mets as powerful a 1-2 punch as any in the major leagues. Wheeler was 9-1 with a 1.68 ERA.
“I think this stretch he had has really kind of opened his eyes,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “He always kind of knew he could be this guy, but when you are actually that guy it kind of opens your eyes to, ‘OK, I’ve got this and I am going to move forward with it,’ so hopefully it’s a big stepping stone for him in his career.”
Wheeler began the season at Triple-A Las Vegas after a lackluster spring, but was summoned back to the Mets after only one start. Along the way, he took to pitching coach Dave Eiland’s suggestions in shortening his delivery and unleashing his plus fastball.
“He was trying to make those adjustments in spring training and still trying to compete,” Eiland said. “He needed to go [to Las Vegas]. We told him in the beginning that this wasn’t a punishment. This was going to benefit him in the long run. He continued to work and make the adjustments he needed to make.”
Wheeler missed the 2015 and ’16 seasons rehabbing from Tommy John surgery before the bone weakness in his right arm forced him to miss the final two months in ’17.
The Mets dangled Wheeler at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, but his health history, in part, prevented the team from receiving anything resembling a palatable offer. Now the Mets have a Big Four headed to 2019 — Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz round out that group behind deGrom and Wheeler — that team officials are counting on to lead a turnaround.
“That is why Mickey and I were pounding the nail prior to the deadline not get rid of any of them,” Eiland said. “We can win a championship with this rotation. It takes more than this rotation, but I will take this rotation in a five- or seven-game series and feel as good about it as anybody.”
For Wheeler, the next challenge is turning his dominant second half into a full season.
“I have done some thinking and I wish the first part of the season was more like the second part,” Wheeler said. “Obviously I think overall it was a good season for me. It was a bit of a learning experience at the beginning. I made some adjustments and I was able to take off the second half.”
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