MIAMI — Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter has been feeling “elbow discomfort” and underwent testing, manager Rob Thomson said Friday. Thomson declined to specify what kind of testing.
Painter, 20, was scheduled to face live hitters on Tuesday but felt a “little stiff” on Monday, so the Phillies postponed the scheduled batting practice. They were optimistic after Painter took the mound on Wednesday to throw a bullpen session in Clearwater, Fla., but he returned Thursday feeling elbow discomfort.
A first-round draft pick in 2021, Painter has spent the first half of the season on the injured list with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The Phillies consulted multiple doctors — including orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache — and came to the conclusion that Painter did not need surgery or a platelet-rich plasma injection.
For now, it’s likely he’ll be shut down.
“We’re going to be careful with him, obviously,” Thomson said. “We’ll see once we get the test results.”
Thomson said he is unsure about when he will receive the test results.
When asked if it was a significant setback, Thomson said: “Well, I’m concerned. You’re always concerned when guys are sore. We’ll know more after we get the tests back.”
The Phillies have remained confident that Painter will pitch this season. But until they get those test results, it’s hard to say anything definitively.
If Painter has to miss significant time, that would open up the fifth starter spot for the foreseeable future. As of now, the Phillies are confident they can fill that spot internally. They like the way Cristopher Sánchez has pitched — the lefty has a 2.14 ERA over four starts since he was recalled — and still have faith in Dylan Covey and Bailey Falter, who is pitching in Triple-A.
Matt Strahm is another possibility to fill that role. Strahm has already logged more innings in 2023 (54 1/3) than he had in his entire 2022 season with the Red Sox (44 2/3). But he hasn’t been feeling the extra load much, and has looked sharp lately. After not pitching since June 30, Strahm gave the Phillies his best bullpen outing of the season on Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching a scoreless 10th and 11th innings — with the ghost runner on second, no less — and allowing only one walk.
Strahm began the season in the starting rotation after Ranger Suárez strained his left elbow. He pitched to a 4.18 ERA through nine starts.
While Painter’s injury is a disappointment, it’s unlikely that it will change the team’s priorities ahead of the trade deadline. Their bullpen ERA is among the best in baseball (3.78) and their starters have hit a stride over the last few weeks. The glaring need is still a power bat. The Phillies haven’t slugged the way they were built to this season, with a few exceptions (like Nick Castellanos, who has already tied his home run total for all of last year with 13).
