CLEARWATER, Fla. — If Phillies fans feel like they've been waiting forever for another glimpse of Andrew Painter, know that he's just as eager.
The Phils' 6-foot-7 top pitching prospect is back at spring training two years after injuring his elbow in a Grapefruit League game, a development which changed the Phillies' rotation plans then and altered the early trajectory of his career.
"Long time coming. First year was long, second year not as much," Painter said Thursday after the second official workout for Phillies pitchers and catchers.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"Two years, it's kind of like a two-year offseason. You just get to lift, strengthen the shoulder, get in the weight room and get after it for two years."
Painter was only 19 years old in the spring of 2023 but was competing to be the Phillies' No. 5 starter and appeared to have the inside track. His spring training debut in Fort Myers against the Twins was electric, with Painter blowing a few 99 mph fastballs by veteran hitters in a short outing.
But elbow injuries rarely seem to elude hard-throwing young pitchers and Painter was another in a long line who required Tommy John surgery. He went under the knife in July of that year and missed all of 2023 and 2024 before pitching exceptionally well in the Arizona Fall League, earning the AFL's Pitcher of the Year award.
"I wanted to go out there. I thought it would be some peace of mind seeing hitters in a game atmosphere, getting under the lights, real umpire back there, not just lobs on the backfield," he said. "That makes me more confident rolling into spring training and rolling into this year."
Philadelphia Phillies
Find the latest Philadelphia Phillies news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Painter unveiled a new, harder slider in the Arizona Fall League and will continue to use that pitch in addition to his fastball, curveball and a changeup he's begun messing around with.
"Throw it hard, rip it," he said of his goal with the new slider. "It was more sweepy, more horizontal, slower. Just kinda throwing the harder one. That was even a goal in 2022, trying to throw it harder. We introduced a cutter, it was short-lived, one outing. But the cutter is essentially the slider now, we just took that grip.
"I'm comfortable with the slider, tested it out in the AFL, felt good, I could command it. Curveball, same thing. Changeup is kinda the next one. Trying to work on making my changeup a better offering."
Painter's MLB debut will have to wait until at least June. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is eying anywhere from June through August to bring him to the majors, provided Painter is healthy and performing in the minor leagues. Painter is under an innings limit in 2025. The Phillies haven't given a number but it's safe to say he won't go too far past 100.
The idea is to preserve the majority of those innings for when the Phillies need them most. Why have Painter start once a week the first few months just to hit his innings cap by midseason?
If the Phillies have a healthy rotation in the middle of the summer, perhaps Painter comes up as a sixth starter. Perhaps he serves as an opener.
That's all still a ways away. For now, Painter will throw side sessions every three days, then eventually face hitters in live batting practice and pitch in extended spring training games.
Painter will not appear in Grapefruit League games, so he's on a different program than his teammates.
"It's different. Everyone else is coming in here and getting ready to compete the next couple of weeks," he said. "I understand it, there's gonna be some limitations this year. Medical staff has a good plan in place. Trust everything they're doing. Just got to be patient, got to know the angle."