Andrew Painter, the Phillies’ top pick in this year’s draft, is scheduled to make his professional debut on Friday, according to Dave Dombrowski, the team’s president of baseball operations.
Painter, an 18-year-old right-hander, will pitch against a New York Yankees club in a Florida Complex League game. The league was formerly called the Gulf Coast League.
It was not known how many innings Painter would pitch, but first outings are typically brief for young pitchers just entering pro ball.
Painter was the 13th overall pick in the draft. He stands 6-7 and has a power arm. You can read more about him here.
While Painter is ready to take the mound competitively, Mick Abel, last year’s top pick and the organization’s top-rated prospect, remains sidelined after a bout of shoulder tendinitis.
Abel, 20, has not pitched since July 21.
“He’s doing fine,” Dombrowski said. “He’s coming along. He had the issue. We’re just being very careful.
“He ended up having a little bit of tendinitis in his shoulder. Structurally he’s fine. Just being careful.
“I’m not sure when he’ll be back on the mound, if we’ll put him back on (during the season) or wait till instructional league.
Abel pitched 44⅔ innings for the Low A Clearwater club. He had a 4.44 ERA, struck out 66 but walked 27.
LEFT IS OUT
Alec Bohm played third base at Lehigh Valley on Tuesday night in his first game since being sent down from the majors. He was there again Wednesday night.
Bohm struggled defensively at third in the majors this season and has often been mentioned as a candidate for a position change. He can also play first base and that position makes some sense, especially if the designated hitter comes to the National League next season and Rhys Hoskins can slide into that role.
The team has not thought about trying Bohm in left field, according to manager Joe Girardi.
“No. No,” Girardi said Wednesday. “We consider him a third baseman. And I know he had some struggles there. But I thought last year he played pretty decently at third base. This year, it has been somewhat of a struggle for him. We still consider him a third baseman.”
Girardi said the Phillies want Bohm to play every day. The minor league season runs through September this year. Does that mean Bohm will stay there the whole month? Teams can add two players to the roster in September.
“No, it doesn’t mean (he’ll stay there through September),” Girardi said. “If he goes 19 for 20 and everything gets ironed out … no, we want him to go, play and have some fun and relax a little bit and get going again.”
EFLIN UPDATE
Zach Eflin will come off the IL and start Thursday night against Arizona. He has not started in the majors since July 16 when he was sidelined by right knee tendinitis.
Eflin made one minor-league rehab start. He will be limited to around 50 pitches Thursday night.
With Eflin back, the Phillies will use Matt Moore as a long man out of the bullpen.
ALVARADO READY
Girardi indicated that Jose Alvarado is ready to come off the IL and will be activated Thursday. Alvarado had been on the IL with a left shoulder impingement that he indicated was more fatigue than anything.
Alvarado was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays World Series team last year. Rays personnel presented him with his 2020 American League Championship ring during batting practice Wednesday.
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