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.
Phillies' Andrew Painter: Invited to spring training
Rotowire
The Phillies have extended Painter an invitation to big-league camp during spring training, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
While Painter will be in major-league camp, he will not appear in any Grapefruit League games, as the Phillies plan to ramp him up slowly as he makes his way back from July 2023 Tommy John surgery. The right-hander didn't throw any innings in 2023 and tossed just 15.2 frames in the Arizona Fall League in 2024. He's not expected to be an option for the Phillies' rotation until around midseason. Fellow top prospects Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller were also invited to big-league camp by the Phillies.
Phillies' Andrew Painter: Not expected in majors until July
Rotowire
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that Painter (elbow) likely won't pitch in the majors until "July-ish," Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Coming back from Tommy John surgery, Painter will be held out of spring training action before eventually getting ramped up in the minors. The young right-hander threw 103.2 innings in 2022 and none in 2023 before tossing just 15.2 frames in the Arizona Fall League this year. While a debut around midseason looks possible for Painter, it will depend on how he's pitching at the time and whether there's a need at the big-league level. The Phillies further bolstered their rotation depth with their recent trade for Jesus Luzardo and signing of swingman Joe Ross, giving them the protection they need in order to proceed cautiously with Painter.
![[object Object] Logo](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2020/04/22/e9ceb731-8b3f-4c60-98fe-090ab66a2997/screen-shot-2020-04-22-at-11-04-56-am.png)
