Former top prospect Andrew Painter has put the Philadelphia Phillies in a bind this year. His complete failure at the major league level has opened up a gaping hole in the back end of the rotation, while simultaneously torpedoing whatever value he may have had as a trade chip at the deadline. His most recent start in Triple-A was a tough reminder that regardless of how things turn out, Painter is not going to be helping the Phillies anytime soon.
The former top pitching prospect in the sport hasn’t looked anywhere close to that same electric level ever since he missed both 2023 and 2024 due to Tommy John surgery. Still, Painter was gifted a spot in the Phillies’ starting rotation on Opening Day despite a terrible 2025 season in Triple-A. That went as poorly as everyone expected, as the 23-year-old posted an ERA north of 7.00 in 14 appearances.
The Phillies finally pulled the plug last month and have been relying on journeyman Alan Rangel to start bullpen games in his stead. It’s a desperate situation that cannot continue for much longer. Considering the fact that there is zero quality starting pitching depth in the pipeline, the Phils will need to trade for another starter if Painter can’t figure things out.
Andrew Painter's latest failure needs to be the last straw for this Phillies season
He looked like he may have been making strides toward that redemption with two solid outings to begin his latest stint in Lehigh Valley. Unfortunately, Painter lit that goodwill on fire with a horrifying seven-run shellacking in his latest appearance for the IronPigs. Over just 2 ⅔ frames, the Floridian surrendered eight hits and walked four batters, raising his season-long Triple-A ERA to an unconscionable 6.39.
Just a brutal night for Andrew Painter.
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrPHL) July 11, 2026
2.2 IP, 7 ER, 8 H, 1 K, 4 BB
6.39 ERA with Lehigh Valley.
If the #Phillies had plans to bring Painter back after the All-Star Break, those plans are on hold.
Painter is clearly not anywhere close to stepping back into a big league rotation. That’s somber news for a Phillies team that is already punting every fifth game when the broken down Aaron Nola starts. The Nola/Rangel back end of the rotation has been killing a bullpen that has already started showing signs of overuse.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski can’t sit on his hands much longer. The club needs at least one viable starting pitcher to plug the rotation’s massive holes and give some rest to a relief corps that badly needs it. A short-term rental option at the trade deadline should do the trick, but that’ll cost more prospect capital that a threadbare Phillies farm system doesn’t have.
Phillies fans have good reason to believe that Andrew Painter is broken and will need to be rebuilt from the ground up. There’s no guarantee that the talent that made him a first-round pick back in 2021 is still in there, but if it is, it’ll certainly take some time to rediscover it.
Unfortunately, the organization does not have time on its side. An aging group of veterans are seeing their World Series window rapidly close, and 2026 may be their last legitimate chance to win it all. If they want to actually make that happen, Andrew Painter can’t be part of their plans for the rest of this season.
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