PITTSBURGH — The Phillies have spent much of the past week without their best hitter and best pitcher but will welcome Zack Wheeler back to the rotation Monday at home against the Cubs.
Wheeler missed the Phils’ road trip to Toronto and Pittsburgh for the birth of his fourth child. He was placed on the paternity list Wednesday, which would have been his day to pitch. Players can remain on the paternity list up to three days, and Wheeler ended up missing two more as the Phillies started Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez Saturday and Sunday on regular rest.
The Phillies’ rotation for the Cubs series will be Wheeler on Monday, Mick Abel on Tuesday and Jesus Luzardo on Wednesday.
The team is off Thursday before three more home games with the Blue Jays, which will be started by Suarez, Sanchez and Wheeler.
When Wheeler starts Monday, he’ll be doing so on 10 days’ rest rather than the standard four or five during a season. He threw a bullpen session on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies need all the help they can get right now, having lost eight of their last nine games and Bryce Harper to wrist inflammation. Harper is on the 10-day injured list but sounded Saturday like he expected it to be longer than a minimum stay.
It was a wet morning in Pittsburgh as the Phillies prepared to play their season finale against the Pirates, hoping to salvage one game in the series and avoid a 1-5 road trip. Pitchers found a 10-minute window around 11:45 a.m. to get some work in on the field before heavier rain fell and the teams hoped to play fast with another round of thunderstorms expected close to 4 p.m.
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