Phillies devise pitching plan for Andrew Painter, agree to a one-year deal with right-hander Joe Ross

Want to know when Andrew Painter will finally reach the majors?

Think early summer.

As Painter returns from Tommy John elbow surgery, the Phillies intend to wait until “July-ish to call him up, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday. The idea is to save most of the 21-year-old top prospect’s limited innings for the latter half of the season and, if all goes as planned, the playoffs.

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Dombrowski didn’t reveal how many innings Painter will be allowed to throw next season after missing the last two years with a torn elbow ligament that required surgery in August 2023. But he said the Phillies have come up with a “general plan” in which Painter will build his arm strength gradually in the early part of the season.

Painter is expected to report to major-league camp and will throw in spring training, according to Dombrowski. Just don’t expect to see him in Grapefruit League games.

“We’re going to push the innings back,” Dombrowski said. “Andrew understands the plan. We think it’s a good plan.”

When the Phillies break camp in late March, Painter will likely remain in Clearwater, Fla., and continue training in an extended spring program. He would begin his season in the minor leagues before graduating to the Phillies’ rotation midseason.

But the Phillies also want to be careful not to burn too many of Painter’s innings in the minors. Once he starts his major-league career, they want to get him to the finish line of the season without having to shut him down because of an innings restriction.

“We’re going to save a lot of his innings until we get to July-ish for the big league level,” Dombrowski said. “It might be June, might be August, somewhere around there. But you can’t use too many [innings] at the minor league level.”

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The Phillies are set to open the season with five veteran starting pitchers: Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, and newly acquired lefty Jesús Luzardo.

Taijuan Walker is expected to come to spring training to compete for a spot. But after posting a 7.10 ERA last season — the highest mark for a Phillies pitcher with at least 80 innings in a season since 1930 — he isn’t guaranteed a job despite being owed $36 million through 2026. The Phillies gave Walker a multiphase offseason training program designed to rebuild arm strength and regain velocity

“Hopefully he pitches like he’s capable of pitching and we have six starters and we have a big issue in spring training that we have to sit down and decide what we’re going to do,” Dombrowski said. “You never have enough pitching. We told him he wasn’t guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation. Now, does he beat out one of those other guys, or does he slide into the bullpen? But he’ll have to pitch well during the spring.”

Two shopping days before Christmas, the Phillies checked one final item off their offseason list.

Joe Ross, a right-handed swingman with experience as a starter and reliever, agreed to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $4 million, according to a league source.

The Phillies were looking to add a pitcher who could provide rotation depth or serve as a multi-inning reliever. Ross, 31, has filled both roles in a seven-year major-league career, most recently with the Brewers last season.

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“We thought he’d be a real good fit because he could start or relieve for us,” Dombrowski said. “He was happy to do either one, he said, no matter what.”

Ross returned to the majors in 2024 after a nearly three-year absence due to a torn elbow ligament that required Tommy John surgery. He posted a 3.77 ERA in 25 appearances for Milwaukee, including a 1.67 mark in 15 relief appearances. He had a 4.98 ERA in 10 starts.

The Phillies expect Ross to take over for free agent Spencer Turnbull, who pitched well in a starting role early last season before shifting to the bullpen and eventually injuring his shoulder in late June and missing the rest of the season.

Including Ross, the Phillies have seven relievers (José Alvarado, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, recently signed Jordan Romano, Tanner Banks, José Ruiz are the others) under contract for next season.

To create room on the 40-man roster for Ross, the Phillies designated righty reliever José Cuas for assignment. They claimed Cuas off waivers from the Blue Jays in September and stashed him in triple A. … The Phillies signed several players to minor league contracts, including three pitchers with major-league experience: lefty Nick Vespi and right-handers Joel Kuhnel and Nabil Crismatt.