PHILADELPHIA -- For the moment, Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler plans to play.
He considered the alternative. He needed to. Wheeler¡¯s wife Dominique is due to deliver their first child later this month, which places her in a high-risk group with COVID-19.
¡°Yeah, definitely,¡± Wheeler said Sunday afternoon on a Zoom call with reporters. ¡°We just have to see how things are here at the field and at the stadium. I'm happy with what I see so far. But things could change, especially once our baby¡¯s born. I always think about what¡¯s going on around me. Is it safe? Is it OK? Literally every single day. I have to just ask myself that. I¡¯m going to continue to keep asking myself that every day.
¡°It¡¯s a very difficult decision. It¡¯s something that is still playing in my head. I have to be very careful here at the field, outside of the field, wherever I go. The baby¡¯s and Dominique¡¯s health are most important to me. So whatever I can do to make sure they are safe, that is the No. 1 goal for me. Baseball comes after that.¡±
Opening Day is July 23 or 24. Wheeler¡¯s wife is due about that time. He will take three days of paternity leave. Once he returns, he needs to take a COVID-19 test. If he is cleared to rejoin the team, he will need at least a couple days to throw.
¡°It¡¯s going to set me back a start or two, more than likely, but that¡¯s just off the top of my head,¡± Wheeler said. ¡°It¡¯s something that we are definitely going to have to talk about it a little bit further into it and just get that figured out, ironed out.¡±
Right-hander Aaron Nola has not been in camp, and while the Phillies have offered no explanation why, manager Joe Girardi asked reporters Sunday not to assume a player has tested positive for COVID-19 just because they have not been in camp.
But Girardi acknowledged it is possible that the Phillies could be without their top two starters the first week of the season.
¡°Oh, I think that¡¯s possible,¡± Girardi said. ¡°I think it¡¯s unpredictable when you have a due date, exactly when it¡¯s going to come. You¡¯d like to say it¡¯s going to be the 25th, if that¡¯s the date they¡¯re given. But we¡¯ve all been through enough of [this] that it¡¯s not always on the exact date that they predict. As far as Aaron, I think we have to see where he¡¯s at when he gets back with us. There are some concerns because he¡¯s missed the first few days and probably would have thrown a live BP at this point, or at least a couple bullpens. We¡¯ve just got to see where he¡¯s at.¡±
If Nola is cleared to play, he is expected to pitch. Wheeler¡¯s situation is much different.
¡°Out there on the mound, in between the lines, that¡¯s my concern,¡± Wheeler said. ¡°That¡¯s my concern when I¡¯m out there, getting guys out, getting some swings and misses, and just pitching. As soon as I¡¯m done with that, my first thought is, ¡®How¡¯s Dominique doing?¡¯ Immediately contacting her and finding out how she¡¯s doing.
¡°When I first got here, I wasn¡¯t sure if I was going to continue or not. But I wanted to get here and see how everything was kind of flowing and what everybody was doing and if guys were being responsible and everything. We¡¯ve got a good group of guys here that I believe are being responsible. I feel safe as of now. I sort of check myself every day and ask myself that question. If I feel like it¡¯s not safe or things are sort of getting out of hand, maybe I¡¯ll think about it a little bit more, but Joe has control of the clubhouse and he¡¯s doing a nice job right now. The training staff is doing a very nice job. They¡¯re working hard keeping everybody safe.¡±
Wheeler will continue to wear a mask whenever he is in public. He will continue to wash or sanitize his hands, even after he touches baseballs at the ballpark.
¡°Whatever I can do to keep my family safe, that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do,¡± he said.