Phillies rookie Andrew Painter labeled as someone who needs to 'breakout' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Philadelphia Phillies rookie right-hander Andrew Painter has had quite the welcome to the major leagues, as he's seen his fair share of ups and downs. Painter, 23, is 1-4 with a 6.21 ERA in seven starts (eight games) and is coming off a bounce-back performance against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.
Painter tossed five innings of one-run baseball, while striking out four and hitting one batter on 62 pitches (46 strikes). This was a better start than his previous one against the Athletics, where he allowed eight earned runs in 3.2 innings.
Despite the positive outing, Painter still has to show he's making the adjustments, as the Phillies could have him be better than he has been.
The Philadelphia Phillies need Andrew Painter to start "breaking out"
The Phillies could have Painter do better than he has been, as his counterparts in the starting rotation have done better. Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (2.11 ERA) and Zack Wheeler (2.55 ERA) have led the rotation, while right-hander Aaron Nola (5.14) and left-hander Jesus Luzardo (5.77 ERA) have been better as of late.
More News:Phillies' Don Mattingly builds Andrew Painter's 'confidence' vs. Red Sox
According to Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller, Painter was listed as the player the Phillies need to "breakout" among everyone else on the roster.
"You could argue for any number of Phillies hitters in this spot, especially Alec Bohm, even though he did have a two-homer game on Saturday," wrote Miller. "But when they released Taijuan Walker a few weeks ago, they unofficially put a whole bunch of eggs into Painter's basket. And the 2021 first-round pick and recent top prospect in the organization has yet to live up to the hype, entering Wednesday's start against Boston with a 9.33 ERA in his last four appearances, suffering the loss in each."
Painter's next start against the Cincinnati Reds will be a critical one for him, as he has the confidence of his interim manager, Don Mattingly. If Painter looks like he did against the Red Sox, that would be a good sign for the Phillies. But if he looks like he did against the Athletics, the conversation about him getting optioned could be had.
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