Phillies prospect Andrew Painter has a sounding board in Jesús Luzardo: ‘He’s just so levelheaded’
Luzardo and Painter both train at Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., during the offseason and have kept in touch as the Phillies' prospect navigates minor league baseball.
NEW YORK — Jesús Luzardo knows exactly what it feels like when things don’t go according to plan on the mound.
He’s been there before. And not just this year, when the lefty has experienced both high highs and low lows in his first season on the Phillies. When Luzardo was 18, he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and underwent Tommy John surgery. He worked his way back from the injury while also dealing with the pressures of being a top prospect.
“From my personal experience, it took me probably a full year and a half removed from Tommy John to feel completely like myself,” Luzardo said.
It’s not such a different story for Phillies prospect Andrew Painter, who underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2023 as a 20-year-old. And it just so happens that the two pitchers, who both grew up in South Florida, have been friends for years. They met when Painter was in high school, introduced by a coach they had in common.
“I saw him throw, and I obviously had heard about him, and knew he was a stud,” Luzardo said.
They both train at Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., during the offseason and started to become close three years ago, when Luzardo invited Painter to join his group that played post-workout pickleball.
Luzardo hasn’t seen Painter since this spring, when their lockers were a few stalls apart in the home clubhouse in Clearwater. But they keep in touch.
“His spirits are up, always,” Luzardo said. “And he’s always the same Painter.”
Painter’s first season since the surgery hasn’t gone exactly how the Phillies planned. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had outlined a “July-ish” timeline for Painter to make his major league debut, but that has come and gone. Painter has a 4.98 ERA over 97⅔ innings between low-A and triple A, and struggled with his command at times.
Luzardo can relate.
“We talk a good bit,” Luzardo said. “Just having him understand that it’s normal, going through growing pains. You’re not always going to be throwing hard, the command’s the last thing to normally to come back. Understanding that you’re not going to feel like yourself for the most part.”
Luzardo underwent his surgery in March 2016, a few months before he was drafted by the Washington Nationals. Once he healed from his injury, he was also adjusting to the realities of being a professional baseball player.
The Phillies pitcher said he has been there as a sounding board for any questions Painter has. But he also thinks he has been dealing with the process well on his own.
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“I was younger than he was, and I think he’s more polished than I was at the time,” Luzardo said. “He’s such a mature kid for his age, and he understands that it’s not going to be perfect every time. So it’s just been great to watch his path, and how he’s handled it all.”
Luzardo said he never needed to talk to Painter about how to handle the expectations and pressure that come with being a top prospect. That’s another thing they have in common: Before Luzardo made his major league debut with Oakland in 2019, he was the A’s top-ranked prospect and 12th overall by MLB Pipeline. Painter is currently ranked 10th overall.
Luzardo’s big-league promotion came after the Las Vegas triple-A season ended in September, and he lived up to the buzz. He came out of the bullpen and allowed one hit and one run over three innings, retiring the last seven batters he faced in his debut.
Whenever Painter’s call-up does arrive, Luzardo knows that he won’t need any advice.
“He handles it so well that I’ve never once in my mind thought to be like, ‘Oh, let me talk to Painter about this,’ because he does such a good job,” Luzardo said. “He’s just so levelheaded, and extremely calm.”
Extra bases
Nick Castellanos was out of Monday’s lineup against Mets right-hander Kodai Senga. Brandon Marsh started in left field, Harrison Bader in center, and Max Kepler in right. Rob Thomson said that he spoke to Castellanos on Sunday and laid out his outfield rotation plan for the New York series. … Ranger Suárez was named National League player of the week Monday for the first time in his career. Over his last two starts, Suárez struck out 21 and walked zero. … Luzardo (12-6, 4.10 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday against Mets left-hander Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.15).