After missing the entire 2024 season while recovering from surgery, Painter has looked electric in his recent AFL starts, with a 0.90 ERA in four outings. Painter used all four pitches on Wednesday for the first time this fall. His four-seam fastball got up to 99 mph while sitting 97, and he flashed his low-80s curve, harder, upper-80s slider, and also debuted a power change-up in the low-90s. “That’s something I’ve been working on. The changeup has been the last to come and something we were looking forward to working on here. There’s an outside chance Painter could compete in the spring for a shot in the Phillies 2025 rotation.
