June 15, 2025 6:46 PM : Painter struck out six batters and allowed one hit and two walks over five scoreless innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Analysis: Painter had permitted 10 earned runs in nine innings over his first two starts of June, but he took an encouraging step forward Sunday, facing just one batter more than the minimum while needing 72 pitches to record 15 outs. The right-hander now holds a 4.35 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 35:13 K:BB over 31 innings in his seven starts since joining Lehigh Valley after completing a four-start rehab assignment in the Florida State League. Painter's big-league debut was pushed back after he underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2023, but assuming he can build on Sunday's outing and continue to overwhelm Triple-A hitters, he should be ready to slot into the Philadelphia rotation at some point shortly after the All-Star break.