Andrew Painter Threw a 30 Pitch Bullpen Session
The hype was high for Andrew Painter coming into the season. He dominated Single and Double-A last season. MLB listed him as the top pitching prospect in all of Baseball….
DAVID, PANAMA – AUGUST 19: Andrew Painter #24 of United States pitches in the 2nd inning during the final match of WSBC U-15 World Cup Super Round at Estadio Kenny Serracin on August 19, 2018 in David, Panama.
(Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)The hype was high for Andrew Painter coming into the season. He dominated Single and Double-A last season. MLB listed him as the top pitching prospect in all of Baseball. And it seemed like he was locked in to crack the roster out of Spring Training this year. But after one start in Spring Training, he was shut down. And since then there has pretty much been no news about him.
There is finally starting to be some good news on that front though. He has now thrown several bullpen sessions, and most recently threw 30 pitches in one. the next step as he continues to build up arm strength will be facing hitters in live BP. But there is no word yet on when that may happen.
The Phillies could certainly use him though. While most of their starters have actually pitched well lately, besides Aaron Nola, they still lack a 5th starter. For weeks they tried going with Bullpen games, and they lost pretty much every time they tried it. Bailey Falter filled that role to start the season but struggled badly. Matt Strahm gave them some good starts early but has already thrown more innings than he did all of last season, and you can see the work is taking its toll on him.
Christopher Sanchez is the most recent name to try and fill that role. And against the A's he looked good. But they have tried him in the past and he never lasted that long. A more permanent and reliable option is what they need. Andrew Painter is likely still a bit of a way off of that though. He still hasn't even faced live hitters yet, let alone started a rehab assignment. But this 30-pitch session is a step in the right direction.
Hopefully, at some point, they will finally see their young phenom take the mound. He entered the season as the top pitching prospect in all of baseball. And if he can be half as good as he was in the minors last year, and you add him to a rotation already featuring Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, Taijuan Walker, and Aaron Nola, it could make the Phillies very formidable heading down the final months of the season.
Matt Gelb Joined The Best Show Ever today, and said late July, or early August, seems like a reasonable target for Andrew Painter to make his debut.
