Phillies rule out prized pitching prospect Andrew Painter for All-Star Futures Game

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies star prospect Andrew Painter will not pitch in the All-Star Futures Game as part of his recovery from elbow surgery.

The 22-year-old Painter was named to the roster for the July 12 game at Atlanta’s Truist Park. Painter has 57 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings this season for Class-A Clearwater and nine starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

He is scheduled to start Tuesday for Lehigh Valley. The Phillies had been hopeful he could make his major league debut after the All-Star break if all went well with his progress.

“We will keep him on our plan,” manager Rob Thomson said Monday. “There’s nothing that says he’s coming up here at all. He’s got to be healthy. He’s got to be pitching well. We’ve said that all along.”

Painter hurt his elbow during spring training in 2023 and had Tommy John surgery later that year.

He sprinted through Philadelphia’s system in 2022, going 6-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 26 appearances spread across two Class-A teams and Double-A Reading.

Painter was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and signed for a $3.9 million bonus.

Among 1,170 players who have appeared in Futures Games, 86.5% have played in at least one big league game and 250 total players (21.4%) have been selected for a major league All-Star Game.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb