The Philadelphia Phillies optioned right-hander Andrew Painter to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, making an official roster move after another difficult outing for one of baseball's most closely watched young pitchers.
MLB's transactions feed lists the move as effective June 18, with Painter going from the Phillies to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. MLB Trade Rumors reported that Philadelphia will recall an extra reliever to take Painter's active-roster spot.
Painter Sent Down After Marlins Loss
The move followed Philadelphia's 12-4 loss to the Miami Marlins on June 17 at Citizens Bank Park, a final score verified through MLB's schedule API. MLB Trade Rumors reported that Painter allowed six runs on six hits while completing two innings in that game.
Painter's major league season has unraveled over the past month. MLBTR reported that he has allowed at least one run per inning in four straight starts and now owns a 7.06 ERA, with 51 earned runs allowed.
The Phillies are 2-12 in Painter's appearances, according to MLBTR, and all of those outings have come either as starts or bulk appearances behind an opener. That is a hard runway for a pitcher the club had counted on for rotation stability.
Phillies Reset A Top Pitching Prospect
Painter was a first-round pick out of high school in 2021 and was viewed as the top pitching prospect in the sport after his first full minor league season, according to MLBTR. His path changed after an elbow injury led to Tommy John surgery and cost him two full minor league seasons.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander returned to Triple-A last year, making 22 starts with a 5.40 ERA. MLBTR noted that his strikeout and walk profile was solid, but home runs and fastball quality remained problems even before he opened this season in the majors.
Painter still has above-average velocity, with MLBTR reporting his fastball sits around 97 mph. The issue has been how hitters have handled it: the outlet reported big league batters have hit almost .400 against the pitch while making contact on 90% of their swings.
Rotation Question Stays With Philadelphia
Philadelphia effectively locked Painter into its fifth-starter plan entering the season, with Zack Wheeler opening on the injured list and Taijuan Walker later released before the end of April. The option now leaves the Phillies needing another answer behind the front of the rotation.
The official transaction only says Painter was optioned to Lehigh Valley. The next step is whether the Phillies use the Triple-A assignment as a short reset or a longer development block for a pitcher whose talent is still obvious but whose major league results have forced the club to slow him down.