Phillies Injury News: Andrew Painter Faces Surgery

The Phillies were hopeful that perhaps their top pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, might be able to help the team in 2023.  In Spring Training he looked electric, impressing the likes of perennial All-Star Carlos Correa as he struck him out.  That led to some high hopes for Painter to be part of the 2023 starting rotation, maybe even from the start.

Soon after he impressed the Minnesota Twins in a Grapefruit League start, Painter began to feel some discomforted.  The issue was a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).  This tear often leads to "Tommy John" surgery, but in certain types of tears, it can heal itself with appropriate rest.

Despite trying that first, it appears that Painter is facing surgery

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com confirmed that indeed this means that Painter will not only miss the rest of the season, but also the 2024 season.

The bright side, as Zolecki notes, is that Painter will be just 22 years old in 2025, when he could take the mound again.  While the news is disappointing on the short-term, the Phillies still remain in full control of Painter for six MLB seasons and they have not begun to use them yet.  But those who were eager to see Painter on a major league mound sooner than later, will just have to wait.