Top prospect Andrew Painter to throw at Fall League amid injury recovery (2024)

At the Major League level, the Philadelphia Phillies are battling to return to the NLCS for a third consecutive season. Tied 1-1 with the New York Mets in the National League Division Series, the Phillies will resume action Tuesday afternoon in Queens. Meanwhile, they received promising news from their minor league system, where top prospect Andrew Painter has made significant progress.

The Phillies had difficulty securing a consistent No. 5 starter during the closing months of the 2024 season, but they hope to resolve that issue next year. Philadelphia believes Andrew Painter could emerge as a strong candidate to fill that role in the near future.

Painter, regarded as Philadelphia’s top pitching prospect and ranked No. 32 in baseball by MLB Pipeline, hasn't appeared in a game since Spring Training 2023 due to a right elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery in July 2023.

Andrew Painter trying his hand in the minor leagues for the Phillies

When Andrew Painter takes the mound for the Glendale Desert Dogs on Saturday afternoon, it will mark his first appearance in 591 days. His last outing was on March 1, 2023, during a spring training exhibition when Painter was just 19 years old. That game now feels like a distant memory for the Phillies' top prospect.

During the Phillies' workout at Citi Field before Game 3 of the NLDS, Dave Dombrowski, the team's president of baseball operations, mentioned that the organization feels it would be mentally beneficial for Painter to return to the mound, “Our people feel that it would help him mentally knowing that he’s OK to go out there and pitch and compete.”

While the Phillies remain focused on their current postseason run, they're also committed to keeping Andrew Painter's development on course for the future. The organization has put significant effort into ensuring Painter's progress toward the majors stays steady.

Dombrowski, who was highly impressed with Painter two springs ago, had even planned for the young pitcher to make his MLB debut that April.

Painter, set to turn 22 in April 2025, is slated to pitch two innings on Saturday. Dombrowski anticipates the prospect logging 20 innings throughout fall ball, but the next steps in his development are still being discussed within the organization.

“What we’re going to have to figure out is how we get him to pitch next year. Because you’ll still be limited with the number of innings he can pitch. And I don’t know the exact number of innings at this point; even we haven’t discussed that,” said the Phillies president of basketball operations via The Athletic.

Possibilities for Painter's 2025 season

Top prospect Andrew Painter to throw at Fall League amid injury recovery (1)

Related Philadelphia Phillies NewsArticle continues below

Phillies’ Nick Castellanos ruthlessly roasted over blunt take after NLDS elimination7hFrancisco Lindor’s declaration will have fans making World Series plans9hPhillies’ Alec Bohm delivers blunt take on future after ‘crossroads’ question9hFans want Phillies to target superstar after embarrassing series loss to Mets10h

Dave Dombrowski suggested several possibilities for Andrew Painter's 2025 season, including starting him in games later, limiting his innings in the minors by pitching once a week, or even pitching in the majors, depending on his progress.

“People who have seen him throw said he hasn’t missed a beat. In fact, when I got my reports on him at one time, I said, ‘Hey, I hope we know that we don’t have to throw 100 (mph) already.’ I mean, it’s upper 90s. But he just does it. He’s not overthrowing,” Dombrowski continued.

The Phillies have five starters under contract for 2025, including Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, and Taijuan Walker, while Ranger Suárez enters his final year of salary arbitration. Dave Dombrowski anticipates Andrew Painter will play a role in the team's future plans.

Returning to game pitching reassures the team, even if it won’t occur at the season's start. By having Painter pitch about 20 innings now, he can take advantage of a longer offseason and begin his throwing program later than his peers in 2025, which will lead to a postponed spring training. This strategy could represent the most practical way forward.

Painter boasts a 1.48 ERA over 109 and two-thirds innings in the minor leagues, with an impressive 167 strikeouts and just 25 walks. Prior to his elbow injury, he ranked among the top pitching prospects in the sport. This October, he will have the opportunity to prove that he still deserves that distinction.

Top prospect Andrew Painter to throw at Fall League amid injury recovery (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Corie Satterfield

Last Updated:

Views: 6549

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Corie Satterfield

Birthday: 1992-08-19

Address: 850 Benjamin Bridge, Dickinsonchester, CO 68572-0542

Phone: +26813599986666

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Table tennis, Soapmaking, Flower arranging, amateur radio, Rock climbing, scrapbook, Horseback riding

Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.