Andrew Painter was a bit of a surprise call-up last week, as the 23-year-old was preparing to make another start in Triple-A when the Phillies decided to bring him back to the majors after a two-month demotion. He performed well in that spot start last Friday, going six innings while allowing two runs on just three hits with six strikeouts.
Not only did the Phillies opt to keep him in the majors for another start, but they also essentially made him the de facto fifth starter once again when they did not acquire
another starter before Monday’s trade deadline. That second start came Wednesday night where Painter pitched in and out of trouble, allowing one run on three hits in just four innings before leaving with a hamstring injury that occurred after he slipped on the wet mound. Painter insists he could have kept going, but the Phillies elected to be cautious considering their extremely fragile starting pitching depth. Yesterday it was announced that further tests did not show any cause for alarm and that Painter will make his next scheduled start. Until he takes the mound again, we will have to take his and the Phillies word that the injury was indeed a minor one and that it won’t affect him.
If Painter is indeed healthy and doesn’t require an IL stint, it’s hard to say these last two starts were not encouraging even if the second one was abbreviated. He looks much better and more comfortable on the mound, and his fastball appears to be a viable pitch once again. It is just ten total innings, so the small sample caveat still remains, but it appears he has corrected some of his earlier woes. So, do you think Andrew Painter has turned a corner?
