Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a blood clot in his right arm. President of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, confirmed a diagnosis of a right upper extremity blood clot. Wheeler reported feeling heaviness after pitching five innings in a game. Blood clots in athletes can arise from trauma, immobilization, or rarely, genetic disorders. Thoracic outlet syndrome is highlighted as a common cause of clot formation in athletes, particularly those engaging in overhead sports.
Blood clots in athletes may be due to a number of factors. They can occur as the result of direct trauma, resulting in bleeding or swelling that can contribute to clot formation.
Thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when the first rib, or occasionally an extra rib, creates compression over the blood vessels and/or nerves as they exit the neck region under the clavicle.
The most likely cause of clot formation in an elite athlete however, particularly in the upper extremity of an athlete who repeatedly subjects the arm to overhead stress, is thoracic outlet syndrome.
Heaviness is a description patients will sometimes use when describing circulatory compromise which could occur as the result of a clot.
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