MIAMI — Undefeated Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler ripped a fingernail putting on his pants, delaying his next start for two days and perhaps longer.
Wheeler might lose the nail on the middle finger of his right hand.
"Just one of those stupid things,'' he said Friday. "I tripped a little bit, I lost my balance, and my jeans yanked out of my hand.''
Wheeler, 4-0 with a 2.47 ERA in eight starts, had been scheduled to pitch Saturday in Miami. That start has been pushed back to Monday, which is probably wishful thinking, manager Joe Girardi said.
For now, Wheeler's finger is swollen, sore and taped.
"We don't think it's a DL thing, but it depends on what happens to the nail,'' Girardi said.
Wheeler said the nail has been an issue throughout his career, and it's prone to catch on things. He hurt it Wednesday shortly after the team arrived in Miami.
"It's just going to be a day to day thing,'' he said. "We'll see how the soreness goes, and see how this thing starts healing up.''
Spencer Howard is scheduled to start in place of Wheeler on Saturday.