Phillies Ace Zack Wheeler Keeps His Removed Rib in a Closet. Seriously!

We all store important items in different places. These items can include documents, jewelry, family heirlooms and … extracted body parts.

Wait, what???

Indeed, Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler revealed on Wednesday that he stores the partial rib he had removed last summer in his closet, per The Athletic.

So, there's that.

Wheeler's 2025 campaign ended in mid-August after it was discovered that he had venous thoracic outlet syndrome, a compression of nerves or blood vessels typically between the first rib and collarbone. So in September, Wheeler had surgery to remove a blood clot and part of a rib.

After surgery, Wheeler received the rib in a bag, and now it sits in a case at home. In his closet. 

"You have to do a bunch of stuff to it, so I guess it doesn’t decay," Wheeler said.

The three-time All-Star isn't expected to be ready for Opening Day, but he could make his 2026 debut in the first two months of the season. Prior to the health development, Wheeler recorded a 2.71 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 195 strikeouts and 5.0 wins above replacement across 24 starts last season for the Phillies (149.2 innings).

In six seasons with Philadelphia, the 35-year-old right-hander has a 2.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 30.4 wins above replacement. He's also made 11 postseason starts and was the runner-up for the 2021 National League Cy Young Award.

Wheeler isn't the only athlete to hold onto a rib. While in college at Notre Dame, current Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman had part of a rib removed to correct Paget-Schroetter syndrome, a type of venous thoracic outlet syndrome. 

Like Wheeler, Hartman kept the rib, but he didn't store it in a closet. Instead, he had it made into a necklace.