"Did not need this news today" "They give us Bryce just to take away someone else" - Philadelphia Phillies fans emotional as Zack Wheeler is placed on IL list while Bryce Harper returns

As fans prepared for Bryce Harper to gear up for his return to the Philadelphia Phillies, news broke that pitcher Zack Wheeler is headed to the IL. Philadelphia will be without their ace for at least 15 days. Wheeler is dealing with right forearm tendinitis.

The team remains hopeful that the starter will only miss two games while on the IL. The righty has gone 11-7 this year with a 3.07 ERA. Wheeler has allowed the Phillies to stay in the hunt for one of those Wild Card spots.

With Phillies fans excited about Bryce Harper's return to the team after coming off of the IL on Friday, the news of Wheeler is a bummer.

Harper has been on the IL since June, after he broke his thumb getting hit by a pitch. Batting .318 with 15 home runs before the injury, Harper played well enough to be voted an All-Star this year. This was his 7th All-Star selection of his career.

The Phillies have played surprisingly well this season. Sitting in third place in the tough NL East behind the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies are 69-55 going into Thursday; nine games behind the Braves. As of now, they hold an NL Wild Card spot.

While Philly fans would like to keep their team healthy, they understand that this is a good time for Wheeler to miss a couple of starts. The Phillies' next two series are against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both teams sit at the bottom of their respective divisions.

Some fans are concerned that Wheeler's injury could be something more than just tendinitis. If it is just tenditis, the Phillies can play it by ear and Wheeler will be back within a couple of weeks. If there is something more, like a ligament tear that requires Tommy John surgery, the ace will be out for a year.

If the MRI is already done and it is just tenditinitis, Wheeler will be back to face the Braves. Philadelphia will look to Noah Syndegaard, Kyle Gibson, and Aaron Nola to step up while Wheeler is gone.

With the Philadelphia Phillies losing Zack Wheeler, the return of Bryce Harper could push them into the playoffs

While the Philadelphia Phillies will miss Wheeler, fans are excited to have Bryce Harper back. While going nuclear in his short rehab stint with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Harper is looking to bring Philadelphia fans some October baseball.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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