Phillies’ Andrew Painter plays catch for first time since injury; no timeline for return

Painter will play catch out to 60 feet on Friday and continue to throw every other day.

The Phillies' Andrew Painter has resumed playing catch after injuring his elbow on March 1.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

Published Apr. 12, 2023, 1:59 p.m. ET

Phillies pitching prospect Andrew Painter played catch out to 45 feet on Monday and Wednesday, according to manager Rob Thomson. Painter had not thrown since his first and only Grapefruit League start on March 1. The next day, he came into camp with a tender elbow.

Painter underwent an MRI on March 3 and was later diagnosed with a right proximal ulnar collateral ligament sprain. He sought a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who confirmed the sprain. The Phillies and Dr. ElAttrache recommended that Painter rest for four weeks from the date of his injury.

Thomson said Painter “feels good” but there is still no timeline for his return. He will play catch out to 60 feet on Friday and continue to play catch every other day. The Phillies will keep increasing his throwing distance. Thomson said Painter likely will continue his rehab in Clearwater, Fla.

Painter, 20, was the frontrunner to win the Phillies’ fifth starter spot out of spring training. He was coming off a minor league season in which he jumped three levels, posting a 1.56 ERA in 22 games with 155 strikeouts in 103⅔ innings. He is young, but the Phillies are confident that he is ready for the big leagues.

Left-hander Bailey Falter took Painter’s spot in the rotation. With Ranger Suárez still on the injured list, the Phillies’ starting pitching depth is being tested to start the season. Suárez (left elbow strain) will throw another up-and-down bullpen session on Friday in Cincinnati. The Phillies are shooting for him to throw batting practice early next week.

Hall undergoes surgery

First baseman Darick Hall underwent surgery for a torn ligament in his right thumb on Wednesday morning. Dr. Pedro Beredjiklian performed the procedure in Philadelphia. Thomson said it went well. The timetable for Hall’s return is approximately two months. He will stay in Philadelphia for a few days and then head to Clearwater, Fla., to start his rehab.

Baserunning mistakes add up

The Phillies have been thrown out on the base paths eight times through 11 games. That’s an MLB record, and a stark departure from what they did last year. The Phillies were thrown out just 36 times in 2022.

Thomson believes this is the result of his players trying to do too much.

“I just told them the main thing is they need to focus on the bases, be aware of the situation, pay attention to every detail,” he said. “Having said that, I don’t want to take away their aggressiveness. Because that’s part of our DNA. That’s how we win games. There are going to be people who will get thrown out at times. It happens. But the little things that we’ve seen, not picking up coaches, too big of turns, those are things we have to address.”