Zack Wheeler

Wheeler underwent surgery in late September to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome following an operation in mid-August to remove a blood clot near his right shoulder. The 35-year-old fantasy ace is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day based on the club's initial recovery timeline of 6-8 months. There should be a clearer estimate for his season debut once he ramps up his throwing program in spring training.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that Wheeler (shoulder) began playing catch last week, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Dombrowski hasn't offered any additional clarity on Wheeler's recovery timeline from surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome since his end-of-season media session in late October, when he reiterated the club's expectation: "The timeline remains six to eight months to be back pitching in a major-league game -- so that takes you to the end of May." The veteran fantasy ace, who turns 36 in late May, is expected to continue ramping up during spring training, but remains highly unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. The central question for fantasy managers is whether his front-of-the-rotation stuff returns to pre-surgery during spring throwing sessions and early-season rehab outings. He's the definition of a high-risk, high-reward pick -- volatile because of the procedure but impossible to ignore given his track record. A speculative selection as a top-40 range starting pitcher for fantasy purposes makes sense. With Wheeler projected to miss at least two months -- and Ranger Suarez likely leaving in free agency -- there's also a very real pathway for top prospect Andrew Painter to break camp in Philadelphia's rotation.