Philadelphia Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski broke his silence about the franchise pitcher's future after a brutal health update.

Phillies ace right-hander Zack Wheeler is out for the rest of the season, the team announced Saturday. Wheeler, 35, has been diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), and the recommendation was to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks. Such a procedure typically has a recovery time of six to eight months.

The left-hander struck out 12 in 6 1/3 dominant innings Tuesday in a win over the Seattle Mariners. He allowed two runs - one was inherited - and his season ERA is now 2.46, Incredibly, he threw 26 of 27 first-pitch strikes. Sanchez left the field to a standing ovation.