PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies have decided against allowing their highly regarded prospect, Andrew Painter, to participate in spring training games as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery.

The 21-year-old pitcher sustained an elbow injury during spring training in 2023 and underwent surgery on July 25, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the head physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Painter was selected as the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and signed with the team for a substantial bonus of $3.9 million.

Phillies president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, stated on Monday, “He’ll throw but do not plan on pitching” in any games this spring. He added that the organization would be delaying the buildup of Painter’s innings for the time being.

Dombrowski also mentioned that the young pitcher would eventually start a progression in the minor leagues, with hopes of making his major league debut later in the summer.

During the Arizona Fall League, Painter had made six starts, yielding only four runs while striking out 18 batters over 15 and two-thirds innings, marking his return to the mound after missing the previous two seasons.

In 2022, Painter quickly advanced through the Phillies’ minor league system, ending the year with an impressive 6-2 record and a 1.48 ERA over 26 games which included time at two Class A teams and Double-A Reading.