Phillies Prospect Andrew Painter Dominates in Second Rehab Start

Philadelphia Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter made his second start for Low-A Clearwater on Friday night.

Andrew Painter's Dominant Second Rehab Start

The Phillies' top pitching prospect struck out four and gave up three hits in three scoreless innings, throwing 35 of 49 pitches for strikes, following up his debut where he tossed 1.2 innings with three strikeouts on April 13, hitting 100 mph on the radar gun.

The 22-year-old seems to be on pace for a mid-July debut with the Phillies, but it will be interesting to see what the Phillies plan is when he is ready to be promoted.

The team is currently using Taijuan Walker as the No. 5 starter with lefty Ranger Suárez set to make another rehab start, where he is expected to throw between 70-75 pitches and start for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs against Columbus on Tuesday.

Ranger Suárez Rehab Update and Rotation Implications

Suárez has been rehabbing down in Clearwater, where he tossed four innings on Wednesday, with seven strikeouts and one run. He could make one more start after that, and if all goes well, he could be on his way to the Philadelphia rotation in early May.

In his first rehab start on April 10, Suárez allowed just one hit over three scoreless frames.

Suárez has been dealing with lower back soreness since the middle of last season, which forced him onto the injured list on two separate occasions.

He was named to the National League All-Star team and went 12-8 with a 3.46 ERA last season.

With Suárez close to returning and Painter looming, the Phillies will have a glut of starting arms.  One possibility is to use a 6-man rotation for the final stretch of the season, or move Suárez to the bullpen to give the Phillies another strong bullpen.  Suárez has experience pitching out of the bullpen and could give the Phillies another weapon that has late-inning bullpen experience.

Stay tuned for more updates on Andrew Painter’s journey to the majors and the Phillies’ evolving rotation plans.