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Phillies Predicted to Make Andrew Painter Decision After Jose Alvarado News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated May 20, 2025 8:30 PM ET

It's never easy losing an elite reliever, which the Philadelphia Phillies now have to deal with. Jose Alvarado is out for 80 games in the regular season and will miss the entire postseason.

However, instead of panicking, there might be a scenario where the Phillies look at an internal option and allow them to pitch, giving them a chance they wouldn't have had a few days ago.

That's precisely what Anthony Stitt of Forbes predicted would happen, naming Andrew Painter and Ranger Suarez as potential bullpen options in the playoffs.

“But if all goes according to plan — and, yes, it always does! — the team could upgrade the 'pen for the playoffs with two big weapons that are already on the roster: Ranger Suarez and Andrew Painter,” he wrote.

Painter is the more questionable one in the scenario. Some have suggested that he could be called up in the next few weeks, and he likely deserves that.

The 22-year-old right-hander from Pompano Beach, Florida, has a 100-plus miles per hour fastball.

The Phillies have suggested that he'll work as a starter when he comes up, but if Dave Dombrowski and the coaching staff need him to be a reliever throughout the playoffs, he shouldn’t be too upset to be on the mound.

It's a tough decision to make a young pitcher throw out of a bullpen when he's never done that, but he has to learn it quickly if that's the plan.

Nonetheless, this could be an opportunity for him that wasn't there, something the six-foot-seven star should be happy about.

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

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