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          New York Mets

          Zack Wheeler to begin rehab assignment Saturday

          • Adam Rubin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2016, 10:51 PM
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              Adam Rubin has covered the Mets since 2003. He's a graduate of Mepham High School on Long Island and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined ESPNNewYork after spending 10 years at the New York Daily News.
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          NEW YORK -- There is a light at the end of the tunnel for New York Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler.

          Wheeler, who underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2015, is due to begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday, general manager Sandy Alderson said.

          Wheeler threw a simulated game on Monday in Port St. Lucie, Florida, as the final step before entering official games. His fastball sat at 90-93 mph, according to Alderson.

          A rehab assignment lasts a maximum of 30 days, so Wheeler's return should come shortly after rosters expand on Sept. 1.

          Wheeler suffered a pair of setbacks this year. Doctors performed surgery in April to remove an undissolved stitch from his original Tommy John procedure. And Wheeler required a cortisone injection in June for nerve irritation.