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Andrew Painter Development Leaves Phillies With Zack Wheeler Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Josh Valdez | Last updated Mar 2, 2026 12:01 PM ET

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Andrew Painter has yet to pitch in an MLB game, but he's already experienced adversity. The 2021 No. 13 overall pick missed the minor-league campaign in 2023 due to Tommy John surgery and only played in the Arizona Fall League the following year.

Painter bounced back last season, as he started the year in Single-A before getting promoted to Triple-A. The right-hander represented the Phillies at the All-Star Futures Game and finished 5-8 with a 5.26 ERA over 26 minor-league starts. His stats weren't spectacular, but he still pitched his first minor-league campaign since 2022.

Painter took another step forward on Sunday, tossing two perfect innings in Philadelphia's 5-3 spring training loss to the New York Yankees. The 6-foot-7, 215-pounder will be in the team's starting rotation on opening day, per MLB.com.

The Phillies are expected to open the season with a rotation of Painter, Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Taijuan Walker. However, injured ace Zack Wheeler could be back in April, so they'll have to either replace someone with him or have a six-man group when he returns.

“Today got my attention.”

Andrew Painter impressed in his Phillies spring debut on Sunday against the Yankees. https://t.co/WGwyMnCPuA
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) March 2, 2026

Andrew Painter Must Make Phillies Keep Him in Big Leagues

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (76) Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

If Painter struggles before Wheeler comes back, the obvious move for Philadelphia would be to send him back down to the minors when the ace returns. But if he performs well, the decision will be more complicated.

The Phillies don't have any other obvious choice in this situation, as the rest of the rotation is filled with established hurlers. Sanchez ranked fifth in baseball with a 2.50 ERA and seventh with 212 strikeouts last season, while Luzardo tied for fifth with 15 wins. Nola had a 6.01 ERA in 17 starts, but had a 3.57 ERA over 33 outings in 2024. Finally, Walker logged a 4.08 ERA in 34 appearances (21 starts).

Going by the resume, the latter pitcher would be the easiest to demote to the bullpen, as he's the only one who's had relief work over the last couple of years. However, manager Rob Thomson could decide based on who's performing well at the moment when Wheeler returns. If no one is struggling, he could run a six-man rotation.

Up next for Philadelphia is a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday at 1:05 p.m. ET. After that, it will face the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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