Andrew Painter is the No. 1 prospect in the Phillies organization.(Cheryl Pursell)
Young right-hander Andrew Painter is now on the road to recovery.
The former first-round draft pick “underwent successful” Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Tuesday, the Phillies announced. He also had an ulnar nerve transposition surgery on the same elbow.
The procedures were done in Los Angeles by Neal ElAttrache, a surgeon who performs UCL reconstruction surgery for a number of teams. The recovery for Tommy John surgery generally takes around 15-18 months.
Painter, now 20, appeared poised to seize a big-league rotation spot in Philadelphia as a teenager in spring training before suffering a partial tear in his elbow in March. The team did not rush the starter to surgery, but after he was still feeling pain in the elbow last week, the Phillies recommended Tommy John.
With an advanced arsenal for his age, Painter was seen as an immediate contributor with the potential to grow into a high-impact pitcher in the future. But with the injury coming before he ever threw a regular-season pitch, those in Philadelphia will likely have to wait two years to see him.
Due to the long recovery time associated with the surgery, Painter probably will not pitch until the 2025 season. It’s a blow for the Phillies, who expected to utilize their young talent, and it’s a blow for the player, who seemed close to cracking the major-league rotation out of camp. But it’s not all over for Painter, who will still be only 22 years old in 2025.
There are certainly concerns to be had for a pitcher after Tommy John surgery, and no one can know how he’ll look until he’s back throwing in the future. Painter is still a unique talent who will have the chance to work his way back and show it, starting with his return to Clearwater this week to start his recovery at the Phillies training complex.
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