Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter resumes throwing
Andrew Painter, the Phillies’ injured top prospect, resumed throwing this week after taking more than a month off.
Painter came away from his first and only spring training start on March 1 with a sprained UCL in his throwing elbow. He and the Phillies are trying to rehab the elbow with rest rather than surgery and Painter was told not to pick a baseball back up the entire month of March.
He played catch out to 45 feet on Monday and Wednesday this week. On Friday, he’ll increase to 60 feet.
“He’ll play catch every other day and keep ramping up the distance,” Phillies manager Thomson said. “He feels good.”
The Phillies will obviously exercise extreme caution in this situation. Painter turned 20 years old two days ago. He was pitching in high school games less than two years ago. They will build him back up slowly, but Painter could still play a significant role for the Phillies if he’s able to return this summer.
Ranger Suarez, also rehabbing an elbow injury, will throw another bullpen session Friday in Cincinnati after coming away from Wednesday’s 35-pitch session feeling good.
“Then we’ll shoot for BP early next week,” Thomson said.
Suarez and Painter were two-fifths of the Phillies’ projected season-opening rotation before suffering injuries in early March. Their absences led to starting roles for left-handers Bailey Falter and Matt Strahm, who have both pitched well two turns through the rotation. Falter has allowed three runs in 10 innings (2.61 ERA) and Strahm has pitched nine scoreless innings in his two starts.
On the whole, however, the Phillies’ rotation has underwhelmed in their 4-7 start. Aaron Nola has a 7.04 ERA and Zack Wheeler enters Wednesday night with a 5.59 ERA. Taijuan Walker has walked eight in nine innings. The Phils’ rotation has averaged just 4.84 innings per start, last in the National League.
