Philly Leader

Andrew Painter, a promising pitching prospect for the Philadelphia Phillies, successfully completed his stint in the Arizona Fall League after recovering from an elbow injury that had sidelined him since March 2023. The right-hander made his return to game action with the Glendale Desert Dogs and delivered an impressive performance in his final start, contributing to a 9-5 victory over the Surprise Saguaros.

Painter's outing on Tuesday marked his sixth and final appearance in the league, where he set personal season highs by throwing 53 pitches and striking out six batters over 2 2/3 innings. Reflecting on his time in Arizona, Painter stated, “Coming in here, I just wanted to compete and get a feel for my stuff, feel confident going into ’25 and walk out healthy.”

During his Fall League campaign, Painter posted a commendable 2.30 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .189 average. He also demonstrated command with an 18/4 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 15 2/3 innings pitched. Notably, he regained velocity on his fastball while refining his curveball and changeup techniques. Additionally, he introduced a new slider pitch which proved effective against the Saguaros.

Despite some control issues early in the game against Surprise—where Chase DeLauter managed two hits off him—Painter managed to escape jams using strategic pitching combinations. He expressed satisfaction with the development of his slider: “I feel great about the slider... it’s a newer pitch and I feel good where we’re at with it now.”

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has indicated that Painter is expected to join their pitching staff next season. However, Painter remains focused on preparing for spring training rather than speculating about future roles.

Chase DeLauter praised Painter's abilities following their matchup: “He's definitely a top-notch arm... elite stuff.” This endorsement underscores Painter's potential as he aims for success at higher levels of competition.