Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter has his elbow rested after the start of spring training

Phillies right handed pitching prospect Andrew the painter He has a tender right elbow and is going through tests on it, manager Rob Thompson told reporters (Scott Lauber) Friday. It looks like an MRI is involved and there will likely be updates on Saturday. Until then, it’s a waiting game for Painter, the Phillies and everyone else.

Painter is one of the top prospects in baseball (Number 14 overall), one of the top pitching prospects (No. 3) and the highest pitch for the Phillies. CBS Sports forecaster RJ Anderson wrote the following on Painter entering this spring:

Painter, a 6-foot-7 righty, was the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2021. He has since moved through the system, finishing last season with five starts. in Double-A. Overall, he posted a 1.56 ERA and a 6.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 103 innings. Painter has a wide arsenal that includes a high-90s fastball that can hit the 100-mark. mph to clear, two brake balls, and change. He’s also shown good control, walking about two batters per nine last season, including just two over 28 frames at Double-A. Painter should make his big league debut in 2023, possibly earlier than expected, and could give the National League champions another big starting pitcher.

In his five Double-A starts in 2022, Painter had a 2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 37 strikeouts against two walks in 28 1/3 innings. Since he is only 19 and only five starts above Class A, it was very unlikely that Painter was going to break camp with the Phillies anyway. Certainly the early months of the season were going to be spent getting more experience against top minor league players while the Philllies monitored his innings.

Still, you never know. There is always a chance for teams to surprise us and be aggressive with talented youngsters. Any situation with the elbow is sure to take that chance off the table, though.

Even without Painter in the mix, the Phillies have a strong rotation to start the season with Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Taijuan Walker and then someone like Bailey Falter in the five spots. If Painter’s elbow checks out well enough here soon and he shows improvement in the early months of the regular season, he could be called upon to take over that top five spot for what it is. it may be one of the best outings in baseball.