Philadelphia Phillies prospect Andrew Painter, one of the most highly regarded pitching prospects in baseball, will soon make his first regular-season start since 2022.
The right-hander, who turns 22 on April 10, will start Friday for Low-A Clearwater, Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters, including The Athletic, Sunday. Painter underwent Tommy John surgery in July of 2023 and has been recovering since. He was able to pitch in the Arizona Fall League this past offseason, and he fared exceptionally well in six starts for the Glendale team. That set the stage for Painter’s return to regular-season action, although he’ll likely be used very conservatively at the outset. The team is still targeting a summer debut, though the next few months will obviously be key.
Coming into the 2025 season, CBS Sports ranked Painter as the No. 14 prospect in all of baseball. Here’s part of R.J. Anderson’s write-up:
Top pitching prospect Andrew Painter set for first MiLB start since 2022 as Phillies target summer debut
