WASHINGTON - Zack Wheeler felt normal while he pitched here Friday night.

The velocity on Wheeler’s fastball returned. His shoulder, more sore than usual two starts ago, held up well. He was pleased with his mechanics. And when the Phillies decided to take him out of the game after 97 pitches, he was predictably ornery, according to manager Rob Thomson.

But by late Friday night, something felt wrong.

Wheeler called head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit and reported “a little heaviness” near his shoulder, as Buchheit described it. The Phillies consulted the Nationals’ doctors.

The diagnosis: a blood clot.

Wheeler returned to Philadelphia for testing, and after the Phillies’ 2-0 loss Saturday to the Nationals, the team placed him on the injured list with what was described as a “right upp

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