Phillies ace may not 'ever get comfortable' with pitch clock

Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler offered some concerning comments regarding the polarizing pitch clock following Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Miami Marlins. 

"I got over to first and was a little winded after that, but the pitch clock was counting down, so I had to keep going," Wheeler said about what he experienced during the fifth inning of his Wednesday outing, per Bill Evans of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "I tried to buy a little time with a new ball, tried to work it a little bit. But that’s kind of where it catches up to you. I had a couple (mound) visits. I don’t know, noted for future reference how to go about it. I don’t think you’ll ever get comfortable with it. It’s always pressure to get the right sign, get the right grip, get comfortable and go." 

Wheeler thus far has made three starts under the new MLB rules for the 2023 season. The 32-year-old is 0-1 with a 4.02 ERA and 18 strikeouts across just 15.2 innings of work.

Of course, Wheeler is hardly the only National League East pitcher having a difficult time adapting to the new guidelines. Mets starters Max Scherzer and Carlos Carrasco have both seemingly struggled with fatigue directly linked with the pitch clock, and it's thought that shorter breaks between offerings and innings will "greatly" impact older pitchers this spring. 

Wheeler suggested things will only get more difficult for him and his peers once the weather gets warmer. 

"It was a track meet today because all the innings were going by quick," Wheeler continued. "Before you knew it, it was the fourth or fifth inning. You just have to deal with it. It wasn’t a huge stress today, but day games in the middle of the summer it’s going to be tough, especially if you don’t have your best stuff. You’re grinding out there. It’s going to be tough, it’s just something you’re just going to have to adjust to. Hope for the best, I guess." 

Wheeler and the Phillies have thus far had a tough spring, beginning the season 4-8.