Phillies prospect Andrew Painter hits 99 mph facing batters for first time since elbow surgery

Painter, who had Tommy John surgery in July 2023, threw 15 pitches. He will throw another session on Saturday and continue to build up his pitch count.

Pitcher Andrew Painter is ranked as the No. 2 Phillies prospect and No. 33 overall prospect by MLB.com.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Alex Coffey

Published Sept. 4, 2024, 6:05 p.m. ET

TORONTO — Andrew Painter took a big step in his recovery from Tommy John elbow surgery on Wednesday, throwing to hitters at the Phillies’ complex in Clearwater, Fla. Painter sat 97-98 mph and hit 99 mph. He threw 15 pitches, the team said.

Wednesday marked the first time he had thrown to hitters since he underwent the surgery on July 24, 2023. Up until this point, he had been throwing bullpen sessions in Clearwater.

“They said it went very well,” said manager Rob Thomson. “It was 15 pitches. If all goes well, he’ll throw that 15 pitch-BP every three days, for the time being.”

The plan is for him to throw another live bullpen session on Saturday. Painter, who is ranked as the No. 2 Phillies prospect and No. 33 overall prospect by MLB.com, hasn’t pitched in a game since March 1, 2023, in big league spring training.

Painter came out of that spring training game against the Twins with tenderness in his right elbow. The Phillies attempted to manage it more conservatively, but the medical staff recommended Tommy John surgery in mid-July.

The Phillies have said that they don’t want rush him. The expectation is still that Painter will not pitch in big league games until 2025.

But their hope is that whenever Painter returns, he’ll pick up right where he left off. Expectations were so high for him that he entered 2023 with a legitimate chance to win a spot in the Phillies’ rotation. Even though his health issues have delayed his timeline, Painter is still only 21, and has plenty of upside.

He throws a four-seam fastball, a slider, a changeup and a curveball. He was drafted by the Phillies in the first round in 2021, and pitched four games for the FCL Phillies that year, allowing no runs, no walks, and four hits with 12 strikeouts over six innings.

He jumped three minor league levels in 2022: from low-A Clearwater to high-A Jersey Shore to double-A Reading. He posted a 1.56 ERA across all three levels that year, with 155 strikeouts to 25 walks.