MIAMI — Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter has been feeling “elbow discomfort” and underwent testing, manager Rob Thomson said Friday. Thomson declined to specify what kind of testing.
Painter, 20, was scheduled to face live hitters on Tuesday but felt a “little stiff” on Monday, so the Phillies postponed the scheduled batting practice. They were optimistic after Painter took the mound on Wednesday to throw a bullpen session in Clearwater, Fla., but he returned Thursday feeling elbow discomfort.
A first-round draft pick in 2021, Painter has spent the first half of the season on the injured list with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The Phillies consulted multiple doctors — including orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache — and came to the conclusion that Painter did not need surgery or a platelet-rich plasma injection.
