Andrew Painter may have endured another difficult afternoon from a command standpoint, but his latest outing reinforced why the Philadelphia Phillies continue to view the young right-hander as an important piece of their postseason plans.
Painter helped the Phillies secure a crucial 9-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday at Truist Park, allowing Philadelphia to keep pace in the National League Wild Card race. The rookie did not dominate, but he managed to navigate through several difficult situations and leave the game with the Phillies holding a 2-1 advantage after five innings.
With only 12 regular-season games remaining, Philadelphia is now 83-67, five games behind Atlanta in the NL East. A third consecutive division title has become increasingly unlikely, meaning the Wild Card route has emerged as the Phillies’ clearest path back to the postseason.
And Painter could have a much bigger role once they get there.
Painter battles through command problems
The final line was hardly spectacular. Painter allowed one run on six hits and four walks, while striking out three over five innings.
The heat and humidity in Atlanta appeared to affect his command, and there were moments when he struggled to consistently locate his pitches. He also walked Ha-Seong Kim twice, despite Kim entering the game with an extremely low .359 OPS.
Still, Painter repeatedly found ways to escape trouble.
One of his biggest moments came in the fourth inning, when Atlanta loaded the bases with one out. Painter responded by getting Ronald Acuña Jr. to fly out to right field before forcing Matt Olson into a groundout.
Earlier, Painter had also produced an impressive strikeout of Acuña, blowing a 97.4 mph fastball past the Braves superstar.
Those moments mattered because Painter did not allow his command issues to snowball.
His development is becoming increasingly important
For the Phillies, that ability to recover from difficult stretches may be just as important as Painter’s raw stuff.
Since returning to the major leagues on July 31, Painter has established himself as the club’s No. 5 starter. His development has given Philadelphia another legitimate pitching option at a critical point of the season.
Kyle Schwarber highlighted the young pitcher’s composure, pointing to Painter’s ability to maintain his focus even when things are not going according to plan.
That maturity could become extremely valuable if Philadelphia reaches October.
The postseason will inevitably feature situations where pitchers have to escape trouble without their best command. Painter’s ability to compete through imperfect outings could give the Phillies another weapon when the games become more important.
Could Painter move to the bullpen in October?
That is now one of the most intriguing questions surrounding the Phillies’ pitching staff.
If Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola are all healthy when the postseason arrives, Philadelphia could have a difficult decision to make with Painter.
Rather than removing him from the postseason equation, the Phillies could potentially move him into the bullpen.
That possibility became even more interesting after Sunday’s game because the bullpen has recently shown signs of vulnerability.
José Alvarado surrendered a game-tying run in the seventh inning Sunday, marking the fourth blown save of the series for Philadelphia. Entering the game, the Phillies’ bullpen had posted a 5.76 ERA in September, along with four blown saves.
Philadelphia ultimately avoided disaster because the offense exploded for seven runs in the eighth inning.
But the bullpen situation remains something the organization must address before October.
Painter could potentially help solve that problem.
His velocity could make him dangerous in relief
There are several reasons why a move to the bullpen could work.
Painter has already been used as an opener twice this season, meaning he has at least some experience entering games outside of a traditional starting role.
His velocity also gives the idea plenty of intrigue.
Painter’s fastball averaged 97.3 mph against Atlanta and reached 99.2 mph. If he were asked to pitch shorter outings, there is a reasonable possibility that he could attack hitters even more aggressively and allow his velocity to play up.
Instead of conserving energy across five or six innings, Painter could potentially empty the tank over a shorter appearance.
That could turn him into an extremely difficult weapon against the heart of an opposing lineup.
Painter is willing to do whatever the Phillies need
Perhaps the most encouraging part of the situation is Painter’s attitude.
The young pitcher has made it clear that he is not concerned about protecting his role as a starter. If the Phillies believe moving him to the bullpen gives them a better chance to win in October, he is prepared to accept the assignment.
Painter’s message essentially puts the team’s postseason needs ahead of his personal preference.
That flexibility could become increasingly valuable as Philadelphia’s pitching staff takes shape over the final two weeks of the regular season.
However, interim manager Don Mattingly made it clear that the Phillies are not yet making those decisions.
The organization does not want to get ahead of itself while the team is still fighting to secure a postseason position. Mattingly indicated that the Phillies have not seriously discussed Painter’s potential postseason role yet.
For now, the priority is simply winning games.
Phillies still have work to do to secure October
Despite their recent struggles, Philadelphia remains in a strong position.
The Phillies have won only four of their last 11 games, but Sunday’s victory provided an important boost. They left Atlanta with a two-game advantage over San Diego and a four-game cushion over Arizona in the Wild Card race, pending the Padres’ Sunday-night result.
That margin gives Philadelphia some breathing room, but it is not enough to become comfortable.
The remaining schedule will determine whether the Phillies can secure a postseason berth and, potentially, the top Wild Card position.
That makes every Painter start increasingly important.
Painter could become an October weapon
The Phillies’ pitching staff may ultimately determine how far they can go in October.
If the established starters remain healthy, Painter’s role could change. But that does not mean his importance will decrease. In fact, a transition to the bullpen could give Philadelphia an additional high-velocity arm capable of handling dangerous hitters in critical situations.
Pitching coach Caleb Cotham acknowledged that Painter has the potential to become exactly that type of postseason weapon.
For now, however, the Phillies are keeping their focus on the immediate objective: reaching October.
Painter has already demonstrated that he can handle a starter’s workload. If the Phillies ultimately decide they need him in a different role, his willingness to embrace that challenge could make the transition much easier.
The rookie may not have been at his sharpest against Atlanta, but he showed something perhaps more important: the ability to fight through adversity, protect a lead and remain committed to whatever role gives Philadelphia its best chance to win.
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