Phillies' Andrew Painter: Pitching for Single-A club Friday
Rotowire
Painter is scheduled to make his first start of the season Friday with Single-A Clearwater, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
The Phillies' top pitching prospect, Painter was deemed fully healthy for spring training but didn't see any Grapefruit League action as the organization aimed to ramp him up slowly coming off July 2023 Tommy John surgery. Painter stayed back in Florida at the conclusion of big-league spring training and has been throwing simulated games of late, but he'll now get a chance to test himself in an uncontrolled setting when he reports to the Phillies' Single-A affiliate. The Phillies anticipate Painter being ready to join the big-league rotation at some point this summer, but he'll first need to get some reps at the minor-league level before receiving a call-up. He'll likely be limited to around two innings Friday and will gradually increase his pitch count in subsequent outings while also eventually moving on to Double-A Reading and/or Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
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Phillies' Andrew Painter: Nearing rehab assignment
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Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Friday that Painter (elbow) could begin a rehab assignment soon, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Painter had a two-inning live batting practice session Friday that went well and the next step for the right-hander could be pitching in a game. He is healthy, but Painter is being slow-played by the Phillies as he comes back from Tommy John surgery in July 2023. The top prospect is expected to become an option for the big-league rotation around midseason.
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Phillies' Andrew Painter: Live BP scheduled for Friday
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Manager Rob Thomson said Wednesday that Painter is scheduled to throw live batting practice Friday, Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation reports.
If all goes well there, the next steps in Painter's throwing progression should become much clearer, with Thomson saying that "Friday will determine a lot of things." Philadelphia has slow-played Painter's recovery from 2023 Tommy John surgery, and the right-hander's next steps figure to entail a rather lengthy rehab stint in the minor leagues. The 2021 first-round pick represents Philadelphia's top prospect, and he remains on track to get his first taste of major-league action sometime around midseason in 2025. The Phillies have a loaded rotation and are still likely to continue handling things cautiously with Painter, who hasn't yet pitched at the Triple-A level in his career.
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Phillies' Andrew Painter: Extended spring games coming soon
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Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that Painter will begin pitching in extended spring training games in a couple weeks, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Painter is considered healthy, but the Phillies slow-played him this spring after he missed nearly all of the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery in July 2023. He will build up in extended spring training games and eventually the minors before becoming an option to join the Phillies' rotation around midseason.
Painter threw his first live batting practice session of the spring Friday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.
Painter entered Phillies camp fully healthy, but the club has been bringing him along slowly this spring after he missed nearly all of the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery in July 2023. He will not make any Grapefruit League appearances and is expected to remain at extended spring training initially as he continues a slow build-up. Painter could be a rotation option for the Phillies around midseason.
Phillies' Andrew Painter: Changes up repertoire, preparations
Rotowire
Painter has ditched his cutter and added a changeup as his fourth pitch, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic.
Painter is in camp with the big-league club but will not pitch in spring games, as the Phillies look to preserve the workload of their prized prospect in his return from 2023 Tommy John surgery. The 21-year-old threw 15.2 frames in the Arizona Fall League last year, posting a 2.30 ERA and 18:4 K:BB, and he impressed his pitching coach, Caleb Cotham, in the process with a refined pitch mix that Painter is expected to carry forward into 2025. Painter is also reportedly throwing bullpens at a lower intensity this spring compared to past camps as he prepares to make his major-league debut this summer. Gelb previously suggested back in January that 80 or so big-league innings could be the target for Painter in his debut season.
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