A lot has been going well for the Philadelphia Phillies since they made a managerial change, firing Rob Thomson after 28 games and replacing him with Don Mattingly on an interim basis.Since Mattingly took over, the Phillies have been arguably the best team in the MLB. They made history, becoming the first team that was 10 games under .500 in April to reach at least 10 games over the .500 mark before the calendar flipped to July.With everyone clicking on all cylinders, Philadelphia is putting real pressure on the Atlanta Braves, who are watching their lead in the National League East shrink. Given how well they have been playing, spirits are very high within the clubhouse.However, there is one player who is not thrilled with Mattingly. Before the team took the field for their series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 2nd, the interim manager revealed that his ace, Zack Wheeler, isn’t currently speaking to him.Zack Wheeler not happy with Don MattinglyJul 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect"I don't think he wanted to talk to me yet,” Mattingly said while speaking to media members in the dugout before the game.These tensions have come about because of what happened during the team’s game against the Pirates on July 1. The Phillies won 10-6, but Wheeler was lifted from the game before he was eligible for the win, making it through 4.2 innings.Pittsburgh found some success against him, with Wheeler surrendering nine hits and one walk that resulted in four earned runs, including a solo home run by Henry Davis. He did rack up 10 strikeouts, which helped contribute to an inflated pitch count.That was as big a reason as any that Mattingly decided to go to his bullpen after the Pirates strung together three straight singles against him after he got Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds out to begin the inning.Phillies manager Don Mattingly says he has not spoken to Zack Wheeler yet: "I don't think he wanted to talk to me yet." 😳Mattingly adds: "It really doesn't bother me at all that he's upset. The great ones don't want to come...But from my standpoint...He's at 105 [pitches] in… pic.twitter.com/yGEfDIyvwP— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) July 2, 2026"It really doesn't bother me at all that he's upset. The great ones don't want to come...But from my standpoint...He's at 105 [pitches] in that inning...This is a long-term kind of situation,” Mattingly added when speaking pre-game to the media.He is certainly right about that. Wheeler is a gamer, and like all the greats before him, he wants to have the ball in his hands at all times. It is easy to understand both sides, as the veteran righty is a competitor and wanted to remain in the game to finish the fifth inning.Mattingly’s stance on this being a long-term situation is the correct thinking to have. There isn’t much incentive in pushing Wheeler that much beyond the 100-pitch mark on July 1 when the team has much bigger goals and aspirations this season.On the season, Wheeler now has a 2.36 ERA with an 8-1 record and 3.8 bWAR with 84 strikeouts.Sign up for our free newsletter to receive the latest news and updates!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow