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The Philadelphia Phillies announced Wednesday that their team doctors have recommended that top pitching prospect Andrew Painter undergo Tommy John surgery.
As part of the announcement, the Phillies noted that Painter had been partaking in “conservative management” of a UCL injury in his throwing elbow, but since he continues to show symptoms, surgery was determined to be the best course of action:
Philadelphia Phillies @Phillies
Medical update on Andrew Painter: pic.twitter.com/L4lRv0kC4w
Painter, who was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft, is rated by MLB.com as the Phillies’ top prospect, the No. 8 overall prospect in MLB and the top pitching prospect in baseball.
After starring Calvary Christian High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Painter made a brief professional cameo in 2021 before becoming a full-time pro pitcher in the Phillies’ minor league system last season.
Pitching at the Low-A, High-A and Double-A levels, Painter was a dominant force across 22 starts, going 6-2 with a 1.56 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 155 strikeouts over 103.2 innings.
Although the 6’7″ Painter is just 20 years of age, there was some buzz about him potentially making his Major League debut at some point in 2023 before he started experiencing elbow issues prior to the season.
The Phillies, who reached the World Series as a wild-card team last season, have had an up-and-down campaign thus far, but they currently hold the final National League wild-card spot at 52-42.
With Painter likely lost for the season, any pitching upgrades down the stretch will likely need to come in the form of a trade prior to the Aug. 1 deadline.
While it is possible the Phillies never had any plans to call Painter up in 2023, undergoing Tommy John surgery now would likely knock him out for the entire 2024 season as well due to the recovery time needed.
If that is the case, a return in 2025 may be the best-case scenario for Painter, and given how long he will have been out of action by then, he would likely need a lengthy stint in the minors before any consideration is given to a call-up.
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