The Phillies took a collective sigh of relief when tests came back on Andrew Painter's elbow. The top prospect should be on track to a full recovery.
Philadelphia Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter was shut down on Friday due to concerns about his elbow injury. Painter was sent to undergo more tests, and the results are in: His elbow was not severely damaged.
The 19-year-old complained about elbow discomfort this past weekend, and the Phillies initially feared the worst. Back in March, Painter was diagnosed with a right elbow ligament strain which did not require surgery at the time; with his latest setback, many in the Phillies dugout may have believed Painter's elbow condition worsened.
Thankfully, this was not the case based on the latest test results. Painter's elbow still isn't at full strength, but at least the tests revealed the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow was healing.
Phillies: Andrew Painter's elbow is slowly healing
The medical consensus is that there is no further structural damage in Painter's elbow and that his former ligament strain is in fact getting better. Surgery is off the table, much to the relief of everyone in Philly's organization.
Still, the Phillies are taking the safest route possible by shutting down Painter early. Losing one of the top pitching prospects in baseball for the short term is a tough blow, yet it's better than the alternative, which is losing him in the long term. Per multiple Phillies beat writers, the club aims to keep a watchful eye on Painter and potentially integrate him in a throwing program once his elbow discomfort disappears.
In the last few months, there was some talk about whether the club would pursue a starting pitcher at the trade deadline given Painter's wishy-washy status. Now that the Phillies have more clarity on his situation, they may indeed try to boost their pitching rotation.
A starting pitcher will be on almost every MLB team's wish list this August, so it's possible the Phillies may position themselves for a savvy trade instead. Here's hoping Painter makes a full recovery soon.
