Andrew Painter set for Phillies return vs. Orioles
Andrew Painter is set to take the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, a source said, roughly 44 days after the club optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following a 7.06 ERA across 14 major-league outings this season.
Key Takeaways
- The 23-year-old right-hander is expected to pitch Friday vs. Baltimore, either as the starter or after an opener, according to reporting; the club has not officially confirmed.
- Painter was optioned June 18 after posting a 7.06 ERA in 14 outings (12 starts), with opponents hitting .404 and slugging .660 against his four-seam fastball.
- In five Triple-A starts, he owns a 4.56 ERA with 25 strikeouts and eight walks in 23 2/3 innings and has allowed only two home runs.
- His most recent outing Sunday vs. Indianapolis: six innings, one run, five hits, six strikeouts and zero walks.
- Coaches worked on his delivery, fastball command and secondary pitches during the demotion.
The return lands as the Phillies continue to search for answers in the back of the rotation. For more celebrity and sports buzz, follow Celebrity Breaking News on BlasterPost.
Why is Andrew Painter back with the Phillies now?
Painter opened 2026 in Philadelphia's rotation but was sent down after struggling to miss bats and keep the ball in the park. He allowed 14 home runs in 65 innings and batters hit .316 against him overall.
At Lehigh Valley, the former No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 Draft showed clearer progress. Four of five starts went at least four innings, and three went at least five with two or fewer earned runs, NBC Sports Philadelphia reported.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said the organization still believes in him. "I don't think any of us doubt that he can pitch here," Mattingly told MLB.com, adding it is "just a matter of ironing things out."
What did Andrew Painter work on in Triple-A?
Away from the majors, staff identified delivery and fastball issues tied to his post-Tommy John return. Painter said he was falling toward the first-base side and reworked his motion to preload his back leg for more drive down the mound.
His average fastball velocity rose from 96.5 mph in the majors to 97.2 mph in Triple-A, and he touched 99 mph six times. He also adjusted his split-change grip and focused on throwing strikes early so secondaries could play off the heater.
"Pitching is a lot easier when you're not walking guys," Painter said, stressing aggression in the zone. He walked only one batter over his last two Triple-A starts after walking four in the outing before that stretch.
How big is Friday's start against the Orioles?
Philadelphia has struggled in the No. 5 turn since Painter's demotion, going winless in its last six such games with a 5.17 ERA from Alan Rangel and opener Tim Mayza, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. The last Phillies win from that spot was May 18, when Painter himself worked six innings and allowed two earned runs vs. Cincinnati.
Friday's assignment also arrives ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline, with the Phillies still evaluating rotation depth. Baltimore's left-handed hitters rank near the bottom of the majors in OPS against right-handers, a matchup worth watching given Painter's earlier lefty struggles.
After Tommy John surgery, a rocky Triple-A 2025 and a shaky first major-league run, the outing is a high-stakes chance for Andrew Painter to show the reset stuck.