The Philadelphia Phillies are close to getting their starting rotation back to full health for the first time in almost three months. Aaron Nola is close to returning from his rehab assignment, and the Phillies are looking at a six-man rotation. However, the one name not being included in those plans is top prospect Andrew Painter.
As The Athletic's Charlotte Varnes reported over the weekend, Phillies manager Rob Thomson is considering using a six-man rotation when the veteran Nola returns. The sixth man in this case would be Taijuan Walker, who has pitched admirably since being thrust back into a starting role.
Last Sunday, Thomson said he hadn’t discussed a six-man rotation, but would think about it with a long stretch of games coming up. Today he said it’s a possibility whenever Aaron Nola returns to the rotation.
— Charlotte Varnes (@charlottevarnes) August 9, 2025
Andrew Painter hasn't pitched well enough to earn spot in Phillies' potential six-man rotation
Before the season and at the beginning of the 2025 campaign, any thoughts of a six-man rotation included Painter, the Phillies' No. 1 prospect and one of the top pitching prospects in the game. He was originally tabbed for a debut sometime in July, but things have taken a turn with ongoing struggles in Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Fans have been chomping at the bit to see Painter make his MLB debut this season after recovering from his 2023 Tommy John surgery. While it seemed like a foregone conclusion that it would happen this year, things are now much more murky.
Despite a few encouraging starts, he had another uninspiring outing for the IronPigs on Sunday (at least as far as the results are concerned). Painter's ERA is now up to 5.42 with a concerning 1.48 WHIP in 16 Triple-A games.
Andrew Painter's day is done at Triple-A Lehigh Valley:
— Paul Casella (@Paul_CasellaMLB) August 10, 2025
4 1/3 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR.
His season ERA at Triple-A is up to 5.42 in 16 starts.
The 32-year-old Walker rejoined the starting five on July 8. In five starts since, he has a 3.28 ERA. He has just 14 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings but has also only walked three batters. The right-hander's last start, against the Baltimore Orioles, was his best yet. He went six shutout innings, allowing just four hits, with four strikeouts and zero walks.
Walker would be the obvious arm to move back to the bullpen, where he has already had a couple of stints this season. But with fatigue a real factor for starting pitchers this time of year and no off days on the Phillies' calendar for another 10 days, providing an extra day of rest might not be a bad thing.
Nola will make his third and final rehab start in Triple-A on Tuesday and then could rejoin the Phillies in Washington on the weekend. He threw 3 2/3 innings and got up to 69 pitches in his second rehab outing last Wednesday. He has allowed one run on seven hits with six strikeouts and three walks over 6 2/3 innings so far on his assignment.
Nola first went on the injured list on May 16 with an ankle sprain before going down with a stress fracture in his rib. He had a rough start to the season, posting an ugly 1-7 record and 6.16 ERA in nine starts.
If Nola can come back to the Phillies' rotation and perform consistently down the stretch, there won't be room for Painter to make his debut, especially if he doesn't look ready. The Phillies have repeatedly said that he has to earn a promotion with his performance, per On Pattison's Tim Kelly. A team that's trying to win its second straight NL East title will be hesitant to promote their top prospect if the results in Triple-A don't improve.