Phillies pitching prospect Andrew Painter has sprained elbow

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CLEARWATER, Fla. – Top Philadelphia Phillies prospect Andrew Painter won’t throw for four weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right elbow.

The 19-year-old right-hander’s fastball touched 99 mph in his spring training debut on March 1 against Minnesota, and he came into camp the next day and said he felt “tenderness” in his elbow.

He underwent an MRI on March 3 and the Phillies said Friday that a second opinion confirmed a right proximal ulnar collateral ligament sprain.

Medical staff and Painter’s doctor recommended Painter rest for four weeks from the date of injury and then begin a light tossing progression.

“It’s pretty mild,” Painter told reporters at spring training. “This is just kind of something we’re going to take cautiously.”

Philadelphia has been cautious with Painter throughout the minor leagues. Painter sprinted through Philadelphia’s system in 2022, going 6-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 26 appearances spread across two Class A squads and Double-A Reading.

Painter emerged the top candidate to win the Phillies’ fifth-starter job as he attempted to crack the starting rotation before his 20th birthday on April 10. That role could fall to Bailey Falter.

Painter said he felt ‘pretty confident” he would return to pitch this season and could avoid surgery.

“The plan is to start tossing, hopefully three or four weeks,” he said. “See where that goes and how it feels and go from there.”

The 6-foot-7 Painter was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and signed for a $3.9 million bonus. He, nearly reached 100 mph on the radar gun while facing Carlos Correa in the first inning last week.

Phils’ Hoskins tears knee, expected to miss significant time

hoskins injury
Dave Nelson/USA TODAY Sports
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CLEARWATER, Fla. — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins needs surgery for a torn ACL after injuring his left knee Thursday fielding a grounder in a spring training game and is expected to miss a significant amount of time.

The Phillies did not say when Hoskins would have the surgery or exactly how long the slugging first baseman might be sidelined.

Hoskins hit 30 homers with 79 RBIs last season for the reigning National League champions.

He was backing up to play a chopper on Thursday when the ball popped out of his glove. Sooner after, he fell to the ground and began clutching his left knee. Teammates gathered around him before he was taken off of the field.

Hoskins, a free agent at the end of the season who turned 30 last week, hit six homers in Philadelphia’s playoff run last season. The Phillies lost to the Houston Astros in the World Series.

The injury was another blow for the Phillies, who will be without top pitching prospect Andrew Painter for another few weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right elbow. And slugger Bryce Harper isn’t expected back until around the All-Star break after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.