Fantasy News

• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Not expected until 2025

  Rotowire Feb 7, 2024

  Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in an interview on 94 WIP in Philadelphia on Wednesday that he does not expect Painter (elbow) to pitch in games this season. Painter has begun a throwing program after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July. While a late-season return in the minors wasn't ruled out by Dombrowski, he said the plan is to proceed cautiously with the team's top pitching prospect, with eyes on getting him ready for 2025. Painter -- who turns 21 in April -- didn't pitch at all in 2023, so he's looking at two full missed seasons.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Tommy John surgery Tuesday

  Rotowire Jul 25, 2023

  Painter is undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Tuesday in Los Angeles, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. It was already announced last week that Painter would require the reconstructive elbow procedure. Given the timing here, it's likely that the talented young right-hander won't pitch in a live game again until late 2024 or even early 2025. There had been talk of him making his MLB debut with the Phillies around the beginning of the 2023 campaign, before his elbow began barking during spring training.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Tommy John surgery recommended

  Rotowire Jul 19, 2023

  The Phillies announced Wednesday that Painter (elbow) has been recommended for Tommy John surgery. Painter is set to meet with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday for a surgical consultation, and assuming ElAttrache agrees with the assessment made by the Phillies' medical staff, the young right-hander will presumably have his Tommy John surgery performed at some point later this month. The 20-year-old was first diagnosed with a partially torn UCL in his right elbow back in early March. While he appeared to be making strides in his recovery at some points during his rehab, he had a setback while facing hitters earlier this month and looks like he'll ultimately require surgery. An operation would prevent the top prospect from pitching at least until late 2024 and perhaps not until 2025.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Tests reveal encouraging results

  Rotowire Jul 8, 2023

  Manager Rob Thomson said Saturday that tests on Painter's right elbow revealed healing in his UCL, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports. Painter will remain shut down from throwing for now, but he and the Phillies can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Tommy John surgery won't be necessary. The 20-year-old righty has spent all season rehabbing a sprained UCL and could still pitch later this season, though no official timeline has been established for his return.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Experiencing stiffness

  Rotowire Jul 4, 2023

  Painter (elbow) did not throw live batting practice Tuesday because of some stiffness, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Painter was scheduled to face live hitters for the first time since he suffered a sprained UCL in March, but the Phillies don't want to push the 20-year-old right-hander until he is fully free of any discomfort. "As of now, no, I don't have any concern," manager Rob Thomson told reporters Tuesday afternoon. "We just want to make sure that stiffness gets out and we move forward."

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Throws 20-pitch bullpen session

  Rotowire Jun 10, 2023

  Painter (elbow) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Saturday, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Painter entered spring training with a shot to crack the Phillies' Opening Day rotation as a teenager, but a sprained UCL derailed those plans. He avoided surgery and has been steadily building up over the last two months. He began playing catch in early April and had worked his way to bullpen sessions by late May, though those came from the front of the mound. He's ready for the real thing now, but Painter still has steps to go in his recovery before the Phillies consider activating him from the injured list.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Throwing bullpen sessions

  Rotowire May 25, 2023

  Painter (elbow) has begun throwing "short" bullpen sessions, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. Painter has progressed from long toss to throwing from the front of the mound, roughly 50-to-55 feet away from the plate. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said that he expects Painter to pitch in game action this season -- potentially for the big-league club. On the other hand, he also reiterated that the team is being very careful with its top pitching prospect, and there is still plenty of progress to be made in his recovery.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Advances to long-toss

  Rotowire May 9, 2023

  Painter (elbow) began throwing long toss Tuesday from a distance of 120 feet, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. Painter continues to make steady progress in his recovery from a spring UCL sprain and would seem to be nearing a return to mound work. There's no exact timetable for when he might be cleared to pitch in live games, but it remains quite possible that the 20-year-old right-hander could make his MLB debut at some point in 2023. He'll likely first spend a good chunk of time at Double-A Reading and then Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Advances to 90-feet throwing

  Rotowire Apr 27, 2023

  Painter (elbow) advanced to playing catch from a distance of 90 feet Thursday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Painter still has a lot of hurdles to clear, but he has progressed without issue so far with his flat-ground work and might try throwing off a mound sometime in May. The highly-touted 20-year-old right-hander was diagnosed with a UCL sprain in his elbow back in March and is currently on the 60-day injured list at Double-A Reading. There's still some hope that he could debut with the Phillies in 2023, but it would likely be late in the season.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Plays catch Monday

  Rotowire Apr 10, 2023

  Painter (elbow) played catch Monday for the first time since March 1, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports. It's been a month since Painter was revealed to have been diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and he's at the beginning stages of what will be a slow-paced throwing program. The hope remains that the top prospect will contribute at the major-league level at some point this season, but it will be a while before a timetable on his return to game action becomes clearer.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: To throw next week

  Rotowire Apr 6, 2023

  Painter (elbow) is scheduled to start throwing next week, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports. He took a month off from throwing, so everyone will nervously wait to see how his elbow responds during this first throwing session. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in March that he believes Painter can pitch for the Phillies later this season, but it will likely be a very slow and careful buildup over the coming weeks before that becomes a realistic possibility.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Chance to pitch for big club in '23

  Rotowire Mar 19, 2023

  President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Sunday that he believes that Painter (elbow) can pitch for the Phillies in 2023, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Painter remains on schedule to play catch at the end of March, per Dombrowski, once he completes his prescribed four-week rest period. The right-hander was diagnosed with a ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his right elbow, but the Phillies will have the right-hander rest rather than undergo surgery. Painter is one of the top pitching prospects in the sport, and assuming he is able to resume throwing without setbacks, he could provide relevance in the 2023 campaign.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: No update on elbow injury

  Rotowire Mar 7, 2023

  Phillies manager Rob Thomson had no update Tuesday on the tests run on Painter's right elbow, Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Painter was sent for various scans on his elbow last Friday after experiencing discomfort in the joint following his Grapefruit League debut last Wednesday. It seems the Phillies are either keeping the results under wraps or seeking more opinions -- maybe a concerning mix of both. "We're still trying to get all the information together," said Thomson. "He's such an important guy in our organization. Young, top prospect, we just want to make sure the information is right. And we'll give it to you at that point."

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Undergoing tests on elbow

  Rotowire Mar 3, 2023

  Painter is undergoing tests on his right elbow after alerting trainers to some soreness in the area Friday, Paul Casella of MLB.com reports. Painter showed electric stuff during his Grapefruit League debut Wednesday but evidently came out of the appearance with some tenderness in his pitching elbow. The results of the testing are expected to be available Saturday. Painter won't turn 20 until next month, but the top prospect has an outside shot to break camp as a member of the Phillies' rotation. Even if tests don't reveal anything serious, it seems likely the right-hander will be shut down for a while as the organization proceeds cautiously with him.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Could win rotation spot

  Rotowire Feb 23, 2023

  Painter has a legitimate chance to win the Phillies' No. 5 starter spot in spring training, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. Painter will be primarily competing with Bailey Falter for the fifth starter spot, while Cristopher Sanchez, Nick Nelson and Michael Plassmeyer are emergency depth options. Painter is arguably the No. 1 pitching prospect in the game, and his skills belie his youth, as evidenced by his 1.8 percent walk rate in 28.1 innings as a 19-year-old at Double-A. He took part in a live batting practice session earlier this week and has been bonding with veterans Zack Wheeler and Kyle Schwarber so far in camp.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Invited to big-league camp

  Rotowire Jan 24, 2023

  Painter will join the Phillies' major-league camp this spring. The invitation was an expected one, as it appears as though Painter will be given a shot to win a spot in the Phillies' Opening Day rotation. That may seem like quite the jump, as Painter is just 19 years old and has five Double-A starts and no Triple-A outings under his belt, but given the pace of Painter's rapid rise, the team may not want to waste any more of his innings in the minors. In 26 total starts as a professional, the 2021 No. 13 overall pick owns a 1.48 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, numbers he's backed up with a 39.6 percent strikeout rate and 5.9 percent walk rate. Bailey Falter looks like his top competition for the fifth starter job.

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• Phillies' Andrew Painter: Another outstanding outing

  Rotowire Sep 4, 2022

  Painter struck out nine batters in seven innings in his start for Double-A Reading on Saturday, giving up one run on eight hits and no walks. The 19-year-old righty began the year with Single-A Clearwater, posting a 1.40 ERA in nine starts before moving to High-A Jersey Shore in early June. Things went even better for him after the promotion, as he cruised to a 0.98 ERA in eight outings before moving up to the Double-A level in mid-August. Through his first three starts for Reading, he owns a 1.40 ERA and 23:1 K:BB. His outstanding season has accelerated his timeline, and he now seemingly has a shot to debut in the first half of 2023.

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