Andrew Painter Left Phillies No Choice But To Demote Him
The Philadelphia Phillies decided to option right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter to Triple-A after another horrible start.
Painter was the Phillies' top prospect last season and he was expected to make an impact this season for the big league team. However, the 23-year-old has struggled mightily as he's been hit hard, but the Phillies kept giving him starts and showing trust in him.
Yet, after Painter went two innings, allowing six runs on six hits against the Miami Marlins on July 17, the Phillies decided to option him to Triple-A. After the ugly start, Painter fell to 1-8 with a 7.06 ERA in 14 games, including 12 starts.
Although Painter is projected to be a key starter for the Phillies, with Philadelphia in a win-now window, they couldn't afford to keep sending him out in starts.
Not only were the Phillies losing when Painter was starting, but he was taxing the bullpen, as he wasn't going deep in games. So, after another lackluster outing, the Phillies had no choice but to send him down to see if he could find his groove in the minors, away from the spotlight.
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"You still have to perform and get people out," Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said postgame. "You like the fact that you're gaining experience by being around the big league pitching coach, being around Wheels and the other veteran pitchers -- all those things can help you. But you still have to perform."
Painter, meanwhile, felt like he lost who he was as a pitcher and needed to find it again, which is what he can do in Triple-A.
"Just kind of leaving fastballs over the middle of the plate; fastball is getting hit right now," Painter said. "So I think we just got to evaluate and try to find out who I am as a pitcher right now."
The only Phillies pitcher with a worse ERA than Painter through his first 14 career outings (minimum 50 IP) was Ralph Head in 1923, so a demotion to Triple-A was necessary.
Who Might Replace Andrew Painter In Phillies Rotation?
Although the Phillies announced they optioned Painter to Triple-A, there was no corresponding move made or a decision on who would replace him.
However, the Phillies do have some internal options to look at before potentially looking at making a trade.
Alan Rangel has pitched well at Triple-A, and if the Phillies need a stopgap for a couple of starts, he could be recalled. The 28-year-old already pitched three innings for the Phillies earlier this season, and could provide 4-5 innings every start for Philadelphia.
In Triple-A this season, Rangel is 3-4 with a 3.99 ERA and also pitched on June 17, which puts him in line to start when Painter's next start is.
The other internal option Philadelphia could decide to do is simply going with a bullpen game every five days. The Phillies could recall Bryse Wilson, who recently triggered an upward mobility clause in his minor-league contract, according to The Athletic, which could force the Phillies to add him to the 26-man roster.
Wilson has struggled in Triple-A this season as he's 3-5 with a 6.29 ERA, but he could pitch a couple of innings out of the bullpen as part of a bullpen game when Painter's starts would've been.
However, it is likely the Phillies will look to acquire a proven MLB starter before the August 3 trade deadline to replace Painter.
Related: Phillies Pitcher Cristopher Sanchez Joins Exclusive MLB History
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 2:39 PM.