Andrew Painter’s season has been the biggest story on the Philadelphia Phillies over the past 24 hours. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spoke about the difficult decision to demote the struggling rookie to Triple-A.
“I think at this point, difficult that we want him to start pitching well,” Dombrowski told Sports Radio 94 WIP’s Dave Uram. “I don’t think it was difficult, he’s been struggling at this time. So we think the best thing for him is to get reset.”
While Painter is headed to Lehigh Valley, he’ll work on stuff to make himself more successful. Dombrowski noted the work the rookie has done in bullpen sessions between starts, but that progress has not carried over into games.
“We’ve sent many good pitcher down, many good players down. They go down, and they get reset, they come back, and they do well. That’s what our goals are, and what will happen.”
Phillies Reveal Plan for Andrew Painter Following Demotion
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 07: Andrew Painter #24 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during a game against the Athletics at Citizens Bank Park on May 07, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Andrew Painter will work with the Phillies’ pitcher development to clean up some issues. Dombrowski ruled out Painter pitching in Lehigh Valley through the next turn of their rotation, indicating this might not just be a short-term fix.
“He’s going to throw a couple sides to start off and then we’ll determine when we’ll put him into the actual game,” said Dombrowski. “I don’t know if it will be a week, or 10 days, but it’ll be sometime in that time frame.”
Dombrowski says the issues are delivery-oriented. The Phillies want him to get more direct to home plate rather than spinning off. That’s caused his pitch execution and movement to be inconsistent.
“The feel is when he does that, and he gets that effort going forward, his ball’s got more movement. He’s got more command of his pitches, his split works better at that time too. That’ll be the goal.”
With the Phillies focusing on Painter’s development, it could be a while before the rookie re-emerges. Assuming he’s down longer than the 15-day minimum, the club gains an extra year of control on the right-hander.
Where Do the Phillies Go From Here?
With Andrew Painter looking at an extended stay in the minors, that leaves an open spot in their rotation. The Phillies brought up veteran starter Bryce Wilson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Wilson will pitch out of the bullpen, but is a candidate to take Painter’s spot.
Another internal option they could turn to is Alan Rangel. Rangel has a 3.99 ERA with Lehigh Valley across 70 innings. He lines up on Painter’s vacated rotation spot on five days’ rest. He could be tabbed for that start, depending on when Wilson appears in the Mets series.
While the Phillies try to get by with their internal options, they are actively seeking rotation help. In addition to Painter’s struggles, Aaron Nola has a 5.86 ERA. He’s been one of the worst starting pitchers since the start of 2025, which is bad news for the club. Nola still has more than $110 million left on his seven-year deal.
With the back half of their rotation struggling, the Phillies should be a major player in the starting pitcher market. They’ll likely be on some of the top rental arms, such as Robbie Ray or Casey Mize. The idea would be to solidify their No. 4 starter ahead of the postseason.
Phillies’ Dave Dombrowski Explains Why Andrew Painter Was Demoted