Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that Wheeler's (shoulder) bullpen session Thursday could be the beginning of a six-week ramp-up to "possibly" make the righty ready to rejoin the major-league rotation at the end of it, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Wheeler threw a 21-pitch bullpen session at 80-to-85 percent effort Thursday, marking the first time he's thrown off a mound since he had surgery last September to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome. The hurler said afterward of the bullpen session that, "I felt good, I felt smooth, natural." Six weeks from Thursday would be April 9 and the Phillies are idle that day, but any timetable at this juncture for Wheeler is approximate. Wheeler is unsure whether he will pitch in a Grapefruit League game this spring, noting that "I don't even know when my next bullpen is." The Phillies will tread carefully with the three-time All-Star, but his recovery has gone as good as could be expected to this point.