It shouldn’t be controversial to say that Andrew Painter is not a Major League caliber starting pitcher right now. That does not mean he will never become one, but in this moment, on June 18th, he is simply not MLB caliber. After his latest shellacking at the hands of the Marlins yesterday afternoon in which he allowed six runs in just two innings of work, Painter owns a 7.06 ERA across 14 games and 12 starts in his rookie season. It was reported after the game that Painter was indeed sent to Triple-A,
leaving a spot open in the Phillies rotation.
The Phillies had planned on Painter being their fifth starter this season, but the situation became untenable. They couldn’t simply allow Painter to continually get shelled at the MLB level, putting games out of reach early and taxing the bullpen, not to mention the detriment it likely was to Painter’s confidence.
As the above tweet mentions, the Phillies will carry an extra reliever until Painter’s next turn in the rotation comes up. The other starting pitching options besides Painter are not exactly inspiring. Alan Rangel would likely be the first choice as he is already on the 40-man roster and has been serviceable in Lehigh Valley with a 3.74 ERA across 65 innings. But Rangel is one season removed from a 4.55 ERA in Triple-A and has never made a start in the Majors. Another option would be Bryse Wilson whom the Phillies signed over the winter to serve as rotation depth. He has 8 years of MLB experience, but he had a 6.55 ERA in 20 games for the White Sox last year. Wilson has also been bad in Triple-A this season, sporting a 6.29 ERA across 54.1 innings in 12 games. Unlike Rangel, Wilson would need to be added to the 40-man roster.
Other than that, there really aren’t any other feasible options. Jean Cabrera was demoted to Double-A and has a 9.47 ERA. Tucker Davidson was another depth signing after returning from Korea, but he’s been worse than Wilson at Triple-A with a 6.43 ERA in 49 innings. The Phillies could opt to do a bullpen game every fifth day in Painter’s stead, but that seems ill advised at best considering Aaron Nola’s struggles in the rotation spot directly behind Painter.
So, who should take Andrew Painter’s spot in the rotation?
