The Ramos roundup is a weekly Philadelphia sports column highlighting all the news of the week featuring the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, Sixers, and Union.
Zach Wheeler Hits IL with Blood Clot
Scary news came down for the Phillies this weekend, as starting pitcher Zach Wheeler has landed on the 15-day with a blood clot in his throwing shoulder. Obviously, concern is now squarely focused on Wheeler’s health and finding treatments that work. In the grand scheme of things, baseball is not important enough to put your life at risk. No sports is. This is a very serious situation and could take months to heal.
Consequently, this is also a devastating blow to the organization. On one hand, it’s hard not to view this through the scope of what it could mean for the Phillies and their championship aspirations. Wheeler is a huge piece to the club’s puzzle and the unquestioned ace of the pitching staff. Should he miss a prolonged period of time, Philadelphia’s success this fall could be in jeopardy.
We’ll continue to monitor Wheeler’s situation and hopefully, not a sign of something more serious. For all of us at Phiredup, we wish Wheeler well.
Mukuba Shines in Debut; Eagles Trade for Jon Metchie
The Eagles didn’t have a very good showing as a whole in Saturday’s preseason game with the Browns, but rookie safety Andrew Mukuba certainly put on a show. Mukuba, 22, is Philly’s No. 64 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In this game, Mukuba intercepted a Dillon Gabriel pass and returns 75 yards for pick-six and added a fumble recovery as well. Fellow rookie Jihaad Campbell picked up a sack on the opening drive and added four tackles in the loss as well.
On Sunday, the birds bolstered their wide receiver corps, trading TE Harrison Bryant and a 5th-round pick to Houston for WR John Metchie and a 6th-round pick, according to Adam Schefter. Metchie, 24, is a former collegiate teammate of Devonta Smith at Alabama. He should help add some depth and could possibly free up the club to trade a wideout for perhaps another cornerback. If not, Metchie will round a terrific group of receiver’s that include AJ Brown, Smith, Jahan Dotson, and Johnny Wilson.
Union Fall to Red Bull 1-0 in New York
On Saturday, the Union headed to New York to take on the Red Bull at Sports Illustrated Stadium in MLS action. Of course, the boys in blue took down New York on Wednesday in an eventful Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal match. Philly wasn’t so lucky this time around, as not only were the Union shutout, but goalkeeper Andre Blake left the match with an apparent hamstring issue. In the 28′ minute, Andrew Rick entered the match as a result.
Over the last few seasons, Blake has frequently dealt with a handful of injuries and is now 34-years-old. Moreover, Andrew Rick has stepped in admirably when called upon in his absence. Should Blake miss time, the Union will be in good hands with Rick. However, one has to wonder what the future holds for Blake at this point, especially if he continues to regularly miss time each year.
The Union will return home to Subaru Park to face Chicago Fire FC on Saturday, August 23rd. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will broadcast on Apple TV.
