As Philadelphia Phillies fans held their collective breath after hearing of Andrew Painter’s injury, it appears they can now breathe a sigh of relief.
While not an injury that one incurs after several trips to Sherwin Williams over the weekend, Painter’s elbow has been the topic of discussion ever since the Philadelphia Phillies top prospect underwent testing last week.
While adding Andrew Painter to the Phillies Opening Day roster now feels like a long shot, at least the injury news isn’t so bad. According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, there is not serious concern about the long-term health of Painter’s elbow.
What’s the latest on Phillies young star Andrew Painter?
Andrew Painter hasn’t thrown a pitch since last Wednesday, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. The Phillies have played the 19-year-old’s injury concern very close to vest.
Philadelphia’s starting rotation heading into the 2023 season was, for all intents and purposes, already set. Cy Young runner-up Zack Wheeler, former Mets starter Taijuan Walker, one-time All-Star Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez can have their names written in ink.
That No. 5 spot, however, was a bit up in the air. Painter’s name had been mentioned, but the former first-round pick has just 26 minor league starts and barely over 100 innings under his belt since be selected by the Phillies with the 13th overall pick in 2021.
Andrew Painter ranks as the No. 6 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline and is the outlet’s top pitching prospect. There’s every reason to believe that Painter could make his way to the big leagues in 2023, but there’s also every reason to believe that Philadelphia will not jeopardize his long-term health just to fill in the No. 5 spot in an already stacked rotation.
Look for the Philadelphia Phillies to proceed with an abundance of caution over the remainder of spring training when it comes to Andrew Painter.