The Philadelphia Phillies are standing firm behind their highly regarded young right-hander Andrew Painter despite his ongoing struggles in the early stages of his major league career, signaling that the organization has no immediate plans to option him back to Triple-A.
Painter is scheduled to take the mound again on Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers, as the Phillies continue to show confidence in their top pitching prospect even as he works through growing pains at the highest level.
Manager Don Mattingly has made it clear that the team views Painter’s development as part of the learning process that comes with competing in the big leagues, emphasizing that there is no higher level of competition for him to be sent down to.
“This is the big leagues,” Mattingly said. “There’s not a different league. There’s not a higher league. You’ve got to learn to compete here and perform here.”
Painter’s recent outing highlighted the challenges he has faced. His ERA has climbed to 6.21 after another difficult start in which he allowed six runs over 4 2/3 innings. He was tagged for two home runs, struggled through a high-pitch first inning, and finished the game allowing eight hits while striking out four and walking two across 93 pitches.
Over the course of the season, Painter has shown inconsistency with his command and fastball effectiveness, two areas that were once considered the foundation of his elite prospect status. In 58 innings pitched across 12 appearances, he has surrendered 40 earned runs while striking out 47 batters and issuing 19 walks. Most concerning has been opposing hitters’ success against his fastball, which they are currently batting .390 against.
Despite those numbers, the Phillies remain committed to his development at the major league level. The organization believes that experience through adversity is necessary for Painter to reach his long-term potential, especially given the historical precedent of other pitchers who struggled early but eventually thrived.
The Phillies also face limited alternatives within their pitching depth chart, making Painter’s role even more important. Behind him and veteran Aaron Nola, the organization lacks established major league-ready starters who could step in and provide consistent innings.
The most MLB-ready internal option, Alan Rangel, has shown promise in Triple-A Lehigh Valley with a 3.73 ERA but has yet to prove himself at the major league level. Other depth options have either struggled significantly or remain unavailable due to development restrictions, injuries, or workload limits, further thinning Philadelphia’s rotation depth.
Given those circumstances, the Phillies appear willing to endure Painter’s early struggles rather than rush him out of the rotation. The belief within the organization is that he simply needs time, adjustments, and continued exposure to big-league hitters to refine his command and regain confidence.
As Mattingly put it, the expectation is not perfection but competitiveness.
“He gets punched in the face and he hangs in there,” Mattingly said. “Just do your thing and keep us in the game. If a starter keeps you in the game, you’ve got a chance to win.”
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