Philadelphia Phillies Manager Offers Excellent News Regarding Top Pitching Prospect

Andrew Painter, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, is working his way back from two lost seasons, and he could be a big factor in the Phillies plans the rest of the way.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (76) during photo day at BayCare Ballpark in 2023. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson delivered some interesting (and excellent) news on Friday regarding the outlook for top pitching prospect Andrew Painter.

Per Travis Sawchik of the Score:

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said there is no hard innings limit on Andrew Painter this year. They will be guided by other underlying metrics to monitor workload.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said there is no hard innings limit on Andrew Painter this year. They will be guided by other underlying metrics to monitor workload.

— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) May 9, 2025

Painter missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons because of Tommy John surgery - and his recovery from it. Still just 22 years old, he's the No. 5 prospect in baseball, and he's the top pitching prospect. The hope is that he can be an answer for the Phillies this season as they chase a World Series ring, either as a starter or as an elite bullpen arm.

So far, Painter has made five rehab appearances between Single-A and Triple-A, totaling 14.1 innings. He's 0-2 with a 3.14 ERA, surrendering 11 hits in those 14.1 innings. He has 17 strikeouts, and he just struck out Roman Anthony on Thursday. Anthony is the No. 1 prospect in the sport.

Andrew Painter's first Triple-A batter: strikes out Roman Anthony

Watch the top prospect showdown LIVE: https://t.co/jIW8WWE8rV pic.twitter.com/tojNEQuBKg

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 8, 2025

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Painter misses bats with all four offerings, and while his fastball command was understandably a bit scattered at times given his long layoff, he continued to astound with his ability to pound the strike zone thanks to a simple and repeatable delivery. Even with all the time away, Painter will be just 22 years old for the 2025 season and ready to pick up where he left off before the injury.

Related MiLB Stories

HISTORY IN EL PASO: Eguy Rosario hit his 49th career home run for Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday, the most in franchise history. CLICK HERE:

NO-NO IN FRISCO: The Frisco RoughRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, made history not seen since 2011 on Wednesday with a no-hitter. CLICK HERE:

POSSIBLE NO. 1?: Jesus Made is now the No. 6 prospect in the sport, per Baseball America, and they say he could get up to No. 1 in the future. CLICK HERE: