Phillies rookie right-hander Andrew Painter exited Wednesday night’s start against the Washington Nationals after four innings due to left hamstring tightness. Despite the early exit in a 10-4 loss at Citizens Bank Park, Painter expressed optimism that the injury is not serious and believes he will make his next scheduled start.
Injury Details and Game Exit
Painter initially sustained the injury in the first inning when he slipped while striking out Daylen Lile. According to MLB.com, Painter’s foot appeared to stick in the ground as he spun off the mound toward first base after throwing a 96 mph fastball. While he remained in the game, interim manager Don Mattingly stated the team checked on Painter after every inning.
The 23-year-old reported that the hamstring began to tighten up in the fourth inning. He exited the game after 63 pitches. Mattingly noted that the decision to remove him was precautionary to avoid turning a minor issue into a major one. Painter mentioned that the humid conditions contributed to some slide on the mound and that he repeatedly used the rosin bag and requested new balls because everything felt wet.
Following the game, Painter said the hamstring already felt better and stated, I don’t think it’s going to be anything too serious
, according to Nbcsportsphiladelphia. He will be re-evaluated on Thursday.
Performance and Pitching Adjustments
Before his exit, Painter allowed only one run over four innings. He struck out four batters and tossed a nine-pitch fourth inning. His four-seam fastball averaged 95.6 mph during the outing, slightly below his season average of 96.6 mph.
Painter is currently utilizing a new circle-change pitch and has moved away from the splitter and its pre-pitch grip. Painter believes this change has allowed him to hold his fastball more consistently and generate more ride, as the previous grip could subconsciously widen his fingers and reduce spin. During the start, he got ahead of 11 of the 17 hitters he faced.
Rotation Context and Team Impact
The injury comes at a critical time for the Phillies, who did not acquire a veteran starter before Monday’s trade deadline and chose to utilize Painter as their fifth starter. This was Painter’s second start since rejoining the rotation last Friday in Baltimore, following a demotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 17 after posting a 7.06 ERA through his first 14 career outings.
The Phillies’ loss was further compounded by another injury. Outfielder Derek Hill left the game in the 11th inning with a right shoulder contusion after crashing into the center-field wall. Mattingly indicated the team is evaluating everything for Hill, including a potential head injury.
Game Summary
The Phillies’ offense struggled for much of the night. Early scoring included a solo home run by Luis Arraez in the second inning and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Justin Crawford. Later, Bryson Stott hit an RBI single in the seventh to tie the game at 3-3.
The game entered extra innings after a scoreless ninth from Jhoan Duran. In the 10th, José Alvarado walked the bases loaded, allowing the Nationals to take a 4-3 lead. The game eventually spiraled into a 10-4 rout in the 11th inning, highlighted by a two-run triple from CJ Abrams and a sacrifice bunt by Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas, which marked the first RBI by an opposing pitcher against the Phillies since Sept. 23, 2021.
