3 Internal Options Phillies Can Turn to as Andrew Painter Replacement

The Philadelphia Phillies have a few internal options to take Andrew Painter's place in the starting rotation.

Jun 12, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (24) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at American Family Field. | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies made a major change to their starting rotation, removing Andrew Painter and demoting him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

It is a move that they waited as long as they could to make, but with another poor outing against the Miami Marlins, something had to be done. He will now return to the minor leagues to work on things and hopefully return to the Big Leagues in the near future.

Until that occurs, someone is going to have to take his place in the Major League rotation. Who could it be? Here are three internal options for the Phillies to consider.

Alan Rangel

Alan Rangel is someone that Philadelphia fans have been keeping an eye on. The organization has kept him preparing in Triple-A as a starting pitcher, and his time for a call-up could be coming with Painter’s demotion.

He started on June 17, so he is on the same schedule that Painter was, making him an easy person to slot right into the mix in the Big League should he get the promotion. Rangel has 14 innings of Big League experience under his belt and has performed well with a 2.57 ERA.

With Lehigh Valley, he has a 3.99 ERA across 70 innings with 73 strikeouts.

Seth Johnson

Seth Johnson has not had much success with the Phillies thus far, registering an 8.68 ERA across 18.2 career innings. He has found a ton of success in Triple-A in 2026, but as a relief pitcher.

Johnson has a 1.33 ERA in 24 appearances and 27 innings with 40 strikeouts. In need of an arm currently, he could operate out of the bullpen and give the team another relief pitcher to help eat innings until they figure out the starting rotation.

*Update: Johnson was recalled on June 18 as part of roster moves*

Braydon Tucker

This presents the most aggressive and longest odds of occurring. Braydon Tucker is currently with Double-A Reading and pitching at an incredibly high level. He is 6-4 through 11 starts with a 1.72 ERA and 55 strikeouts. That is one of the lowest ERAs across the minor leagues.

Tucker uses a sinker-heavy approach and pitches to contact, relying on his defense to make plays behind him. It has worked to this point, and he looks ready for a promotion.

Going to the Big Leagues would be an aggressive move, but Philadelphia is lacking starting pitching depth, and it might be worthwhile to see what he has to offer.

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