Phillies Top Prospect Andrew Painter has a sprained UCL

The highest probability of Phillies Andrew Pinter, who underwent imaging on his elbow over the weekend after reporting discomfort, was diagnosed as a “right proximal ulnar collateral ligament sprain,” according to the team. He requested a second opinion from surgeon Dr. Neil Al-Atrash, who confirmed the diagnosis. Both Phyllis and Dr. Al-Atrash’s medical staff recommended a four-week shutdown of throwing, after which Rasam would begin “a mild throwing progression.”

On the other hand, any injury to the UCL wilds is a cruel and ominous blow. The ulnar collateral ligament is the ligament that is replaced during Tommy John surgery. A sprain refers to some degree of stretching and/or tearing, by definition. However, painterly surgery should not be taken for granted just yet. Dr. Al-Atrash is one of the foremost surgeons and orthopedic experts in sports, and he and his team seem to agree that the extent of a sprain is not severe enough to require immediate surgery. Time will tell if Painter can avoid going under the knife, but it’s relatively good at least that he hasn’t suffered a tear big enough to wipe out the entire 2023 season so far.

There are plenty of examples of pitchers avoiding surgery even after they’ve been diagnosed with UCL damage – Masahiro TanakaAnd Ervin SantanaAnd Anthony Disclavany and fellow painter himself Aaron Nola among them. Of course, it is fair to point out that the majority of UCL sprains eventually lead to surgery, whether that be a Tommy John procedure (ligament replacement) or an internal bracing of the existing ligament, which comes with a shorter recovery period but is only possible for some sprains (depending on the position of the tear within ligament and tear severity).

For now, Painter’s shutout has kept him out of the Phillies’ Opening Day tournament—a contest in which he was a standout factor despite being only 19 years old. Painter was the 13th pick overall in the 2021 draft and has risen through the Phillies system to the cusp of MLB readiness in less than two years. He blasted through three levels in 2022—Class A, Class A Advanced, and Double A—running to a 1.56 ERA with a whopping 38.7% strikeout rate, a solid 6.2% walk rate and a 0.43 HR/9 small mark through 103 2/3 frames. Baseball America and MLB.com both ranked Painter as the best player in the game and one of the six best prospects in the sport.

It’s not the only bad news on the Phillies rotation front, either. the left Suarez goalkeeperwho was on Venezuela’s World Baseball Classic roster, left the tournament and returned to the Phillies due to tightness in his left forearm, MLB.com’s Todd Zoellicki chirp This morning. The Phillies think the injury is minor and are just being careful, but it’s still a noticeable condition that warrants monitoring. He will be undergoing treatment at the club for the time being.

Suarez, 27, has cemented himself as a quality arm in mid-spin behind aces Nola and Zack Wheeler in recent seasons. He started 29 games for Philadelphia in 2022, hitting a strong 3.65 ERA with a 19.5% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate, and 55.4% ground ball average.

With painter’s fringe, left hand Billy Walter He became the clear leader for fifth in the Philadelphia rotation behind Nola, Wheeler, Taeguan Walker And – assuming he’s healthy come opening day – Suarez. Lou Suarez And Both painters are sidelined to start the season, and the Phillies will likely choose from a host of including Christopher SanchezAnd Michael Blasmereand James MacArthur and Outlook Mick Abel And Griff McGarry. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look at each pitcher earlier in camp when profiling the Phillies’ fifth starter candidates.