Phillies Have Multiple Plans in Place for Andrew Painter

What role will Andrew Painter have with the Philadelphia Phillies this week?

Sep 19, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Andrew Painter (24) pitches against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies are on the cusp of clinching a National League playoff spot.

Entering their series with the Milwaukee Brewers, they are holding the No. 3 Wild Card spot, one game behind both the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres. They are four games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks, with a Magic Number of three, because the Phillies don’t have the tiebreaker over the NL West club.

There is a lot that is up in the air depending on how the results shake out over the next few days. Right now, the only thing that interim manager Don Mattingly has committed to is that Zack Wheeler is starting on Tuesday against the Brewers and Aaron Nola is starting on Thursday.

The next pitcher in the rotation would be Andrew Painter, who is tentatively scheduled to take the ball on Thursday. However, that could change as the team begins preparing for the postseason.

What will Phillies do with Andrew Painter in final regular season outing?

Sep 13, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (24) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As shared by Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required), if Philadelphia has clinched a playoff spot by the time Painter is supposed to take the mound, they could change things up because he isn’t going to be a part of their postseason rotation, at least in the first round.

The Phillies are going to only need three starters in the NLWC, and it will be Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola in whatever order Mattingly decides on. The only reason Painter would need to start games in the playoffs is if the team needs a fourth starter and Jesus Luzardo isn’t ready to fill that role.

“Andrew Painter’s next turn is scheduled for Thursday. If the Phillies have clinched by then, they could start someone else (Nestor Cortes?) to allow Painter a trial run as a reliever. Mattingly said that is something he’d like to try, if possible,” Gelb wrote.

Phillies should get Andrew Painter acclimated for playoff role

Sep 2, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Should Philadelphia not have a playoff spot clinched by that point, Painter would likely remain the starting pitcher. Cortes could be deployed then in Luzardo’s spot, which has been bullpen games with Tim Mayza as the opener the last two times through.

The Phillies could also turn to Jose Urquidy for one more outing. Claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox last week, he was excellent in his team debut. Not eligible for the playoff roster, Philadelphia could deploy him one more time and then waive him to clear a roster spot for a fresh arm.

It will certainly be something worth keeping an eye on. Painter has come out of the bullpen twice in 2026 as the bulk-inning pitcher behind an opener. While not exactly the same as being called upon as a relief pitcher, at least he has experience making an appearance in the middle of a game.

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