Phillies Stress Patience With Andrew Painter In First Season Back
The Phillies don’t mind waiting a bit longer for Andrew Painter’s debut.
The righthander’s arrival in the major leagues has been highly anticipated ever since the Phillies drafted him 13th overall in 2021. Painter was in competition for a spot in the Phillies’ rotation during 2023 spring training, when he was just 19 years old.
But after one Grapefruit League start that year, Painter felt soreness in his elbow. He had Tommy John surgery in July, and missed the entire 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Painter, who turns 22 early in the season, made his return to a competitive mound last October in the Arizona Fall League, but the Phillies are still being patient. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in December that he expects to see Painter in the big leagues sometime in “July-ish.”
Painter is a non-roster invitee to major league spring training this year and is expected to throw at the Phillies’ facility in Clearwater, Fla., but is not expected to appear in game action. The Phillies have constructed a plan in 2025 to save his innings.
“Andrew understands the plan. We think it’s a good plan,” Dombrowski said in December. “He’ll build up at some point through the minors.”
There’s plenty of reasons to be excited for that plan to unfold after nearly two years away from competitive baseball. Painter made six AFL starts in the fall, posting a 2.30 ERA across 15.2 innings. He showed that his velocity hadn’t suffered, with his four-seam fastball touching 100 mph.
Rounding out Painter’s arsenal in Arizona was a curveball, changeup and a new-look slider. Before his injury, Painter threw a sweeper, which he dropped in favor of a harder offering that tunnels better with his fastball.
The mix proved effective: Painter recorded 18 strikeouts and held opposing hitters to a .189 average. He was honored as the AFL’s pitcher of the year, a solid first accolade for his return to action.
