In the National League East, a defining stretch of schedule is in the offing as the first-place Philadelphia Phillies and second-place New York Mets begin a three-game set at Citi Field on Monday.  Going into the series,

The Phillies own a commanding seven game lead over the Mets in the National League East making this probably a must-sweep series for New York if they are still fostering any hopes

So the Phillies will soldier on. They will try to win the World Series without their Game 1 starter, their ace, the best pitcher in baseball since joining the Phils prior to the 2020 season. It is impossible to replace someone who has put up a 2.18 ERA in 11 career postseason starts over 70 1/3 innings with a 0.725 WHIP.

The Philadelphia Phillies say ace Zack Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome and will require additional surgery that’s expected to sideline him for six to eight months

It’s not closure, and it’s not certainty, but it’s something close to both. The Phillies and their fans now know why Zack Wheeler won’t pitch for them again this year. Last week he was found to have a blood clot on the right side of his upper body.