Phillies' Pitching Phenom Undergoing Tests For "Tender Elbow"

Baseball's No. 1 pitching prospect is trying to become the first teenager to break camp with the Philadelphia Phillies since 1973. And the spring debut for Andrew Painter went extremely well on Thursday. But maybe, a little too well? 

Painter is now undergoing tests for a "tender elbow" the day after his first spring appearance. 

Thomson said that Andrew Painter came in with a little tender elbow yesterday. They sent him out for some tests and don’t have results yet. Phillies will have more info for us tomorrow.

— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) March 3, 2023

Painter was the Phillies' first-round pick in the 2021 Draft (13th overall), and blew through the minor leagues in two years, to where he topped out at Double-A last season. He posted a 1.56 ERA with a 0.88 WHIP and 13.5 strikeouts per nine. 

He doesn't turn 20 until April 10th, but you can be sure the Phils will be extra careful with their top prospect, and if the medical tests come back tomorrow with any sort of warning signs, even a very mild one, they will likely back him off. 

If he's able to continue this spring, he'll be vying for the 5th starter's role in a rotation that has a top 4 set with s Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez and free agent addition Taijuan Walker. 

Painter's first start this week saw him throwing 99 mph in his two innings against the Minnesota Twins.  He tossed 29 pitches, allowing one run on three hits. 

It's probably just something minor, but let's hope the imaging comes back clean. 

Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports