PHILADELPHIA -- The last time Zack Wheeler won a major league game, he was 24 years old and seemingly poised to enter a promising new phase of his career. The date was Sept. 19, 2014. The venue: Turner Field in Atlanta. Wheeler threw six shutout innings against the Atlanta Braves for his 11th victory of the season, and the New York Mets had every reason to expect he would continue to progress as a member of their 2015 rotation.

A two-year odyssey of elbow surgery, rehab, setbacks and self-doubt has disabused Wheeler of the notion that anything is guaranteed in the big leagues. He turns 27 in May and seems long removed from his "hot prospect" chapter. He's now a guy that people in the game root for in part because of all the turmoil he has endured.

Wheeler took a nice step toward re-establishing himself Wednesday night, even if the statistics don't reflect the quality of the effort. After spinning five shutout innings against Philadelphia, Wheeler tired in the sixth and watched from the dugout as reliever Hansel Robles allowed a first-pitch grand slam to Maikel Franco. But the New York bullpen maintained that 5-4 lead over the final three innings, and as the Mets showered and dressed for the flight to Miami, Wheeler was doing interviews in that cheesy plastic crown foisted upon the team's player of the game.

Good luck telling him the "win" is now considered an antiquated concept in baseball's statistical circles.

"It's a big weight off my shoulders, to be honest," Wheeler said. "You come back, and you don't know if you're going to be throwing as hard. You don't know if you're going to get guys out or get another win. It's nice to sort of achieve these small personal goals I've had since the start of spring training, really."

Mets starter Zack Wheeler last recorded a win on Sept. 19, 2014. Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire

When Wheeler got cuffed around in a 7-2 loss to the Miami Marlins in his 2017 debut, manager Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen cited crummy April weather as a factor in his inability to command his secondary stuff. The game-time temperature for his second start was a comfy 74 degrees, and Wheeler immediately looked more comfortable and assertive in his approach.

He threw his fastball in the 94-96 mph range and touched 97 three times and also mixed in a tight slider and enough upper 70s curves to keep hitters guessing. Wheeler recorded nine ground ball outs and looked especially locked in when Howie Kendrick, Odubel Herrera and Franco went down in order on routine grounders in the fourth.

"The velo and the breaking stuff were all good. There's still a little rust," a scout at Wednesday's game said. "He yanked some balls to the glove side, but he looked good overall."

After two years of rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Wheeler understandably lacks for stamina. He loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, and his ERA took an instant hit when Robles allowed all three inherited runners to score. But it's all part of a process that will unfold in bits and pieces. In his first two starts, Wheeler has given the Mets 80 and 85 pitches, respectively. Soon enough, Collins will start to loosen the reins and give him the freedom to work out of messes he creates.

"We're trying to make sure the arm strength and endurance in his arm will be able to get us deeper in games," Collins said. "We're not worried about innings. That can't be part of the program. He's coming along in good shape. As he continues to go out there and the weather gets better, I think he's going to pitch well."

Twice around the rotation, New York's starters are providing lots of reason for encouragement. Through nine games, Mets starters are 4-2 with a 3.12 ERA and an aggregate strikeout-to-walk ratio of 50-to-8. With Steven Matz and Seth Lugo both on the disabled list with arm problems, Wheeler might be the one thing standing between the Mets and a serious case of Bartolo Colon departure remorse.

It's routinely said that great staffs have starters who feed off each other, and Wheeler certainly doesn't lack for inspiration. Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey have gotten used to pushing each other. Now they have a new rotation mate to help maintain the momentum.

"Of course," Wheeler said. "It's just a friendly competition. It makes you better. It makes the team better. It's fun."

Even sweating out the final 10 outs with a one-run lead over the Phillies was invigorating for Wheeler, who has spent too many hours living the life of an injury-riddled outsider in the clubhouse. He's back on the mound now, perfectly content to craft his comeback story one start, one inning and one pitch at a time.