Phillies Painter shut down with UCL sprain

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter, who has been out of action the last week or so with what was described as a “tender elbow” has been diagnosed with a UCL sprain. Painter is being shut down for the next four weeks, after which he will reportedly see if he can pitch, or if he will need surgical intervention.

Painter, the 13th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, exploded on the scene in 2022, putting up a 1.56 ERA in 103 innings over 22 starts between low-A, high-A and AA. His performance resulted in him being a consensus top 10 prospect in MLB, and his early work this spring, if anything, increased the hype.

If the rest route works, Painter should be in position to be pitching in the minors at some point this summer, and could potentially be a major league option for Philadelphia by September. If surgery is necessary, Painter would likely miss the 2023 season, and would also be out the early part of 2024 if he ended up undergoing Tommy John surgery.