SAN FRANCISCO — Zack Wheeler was back on a mound Friday, if only for 13 pitches.
The Mets right-hander, who is recovering from a shoulder impingement, played catch for a third straight day and then took to a bullpen mound, where he threw from the slope.
He will need to throw a full bullpen session before he is considered for removal from the injured list, but manager Mickey Callaway wouldn’t rule out the possibility Wheeler might be ready for the team’s next series, against the Padres, upon returning to Citi Field on Tuesday.
The calendar is an issue if the Mets intend to deal Wheeler by the July 31 trade deadline.