Phillies Press Reset Button on Plans for Struggling Andrew Painter

The young hurler made his MLB debut earlier this year

May 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (24) and catcher Rafael Marchan (13) take the field for a game against the Athletics at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are set to adjust their rotation by sending one of their highly touted young arms down to the minors.

Right-hander Andrew Painter, Philadelphia's No. 1 prospect for 2025 on MLB Pipeline, has been optioned to Triple-A, the Phillies announced after their 12-4 loss to the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. The 23-year-old was Philadelphia's starting pitcher in that game, and he threw only two innings while giving up six runs on six hits.

The Phillies elected to have the 2021 first-round draft pick begin the year in their Opening Day rotation, but he faced adversity in his first stint in the majors. Now, Painter will have the opportunity to work out the kinks in his game with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

What's next for Andrew Painter after demotion to Triple-A?

Jun 17, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Andrew Painter (24) throws a pitch against the Miami Marlins in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Through the first 14 games of his big league career, Painter has posted a 7.06 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 65 innings. While win-loss records for individual pitchers no longer mean as much as they once did, the 23-year-old is 1-8 so far in 2026. The 6-foot-7 hurler also picked up that lone victory during his MLB debut in March, which means he hasn't earned a win on the mound in over two and a half months.

Following his latest outing on Wednesday, Painter produced a 13.11 ERA in three appearances during June. The hard-throwing righty allowed 17 runs on 20 hits in 11 2/3 innings pitched this month. With numbers like that, it's not surprising that the Phillies think it's time to send the young arm back down to the minors to continue his development.

Painter, who turned 23 in April, most notably missed the entire 2023 and 2024 minor league seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery. As a result, he just made his Triple-A debut last year, posting a 5.40 ERA in 22 starts for Lehigh Valley in 2025. In fact, he's only pitched in 52 total minor league games since being selected by Philadelphia with the 13th overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft.

The Phillies currently have a 40-34 record after a turbulent start to the year, and Painter could be an important piece in the big league pitching staff later this season. But, for now, the young hurler will head down to the minors and look to recapture the form that earned him a spot in Philadelphia's Opening Day rotation.