Phillies won’t skip Andrew Painter despite a brutal start, citing thin rotation depth

The Philadelphia Phillies are continuing to run Andrew Painter through his rotation assignment, even as his early 2026 results remain punishing. After a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox in which Painter allowed six runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings, interim manager Don Mattingly was asked whether the club would consider skipping Painter’s next turn to reset the rotation. Mattingly’s answer was blunt, saying the Phillies do not have “four or five guys in Triple-A” who can simply replace a struggling starter and still keep the rest of the rotation aligned.

Painter’s season line is ugly enough to invite second-guessing. Through 11 starts, he owns a 6.21 ERA with a 1.57 WHIP, totaling 58 innings, 19 walks and 47 strikeouts. The decision to keep him in place, then, reflects less confidence in his current form than the Phillies’ calculation about what happens if they change course with the options currently available.

That calculation comes against the backdrop of a franchise trying to hold onto contention while simultaneously rebuilding pieces within its pitching staff. Philadelphia fired manager Rob Thomson on April 28 and installed Mattingly as interim manager, with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski describing it as a “different voice.” Since that move, the Phillies have improved their day-to-day performance, giving them fewer reasons to gamble with rotation structure. CBS Sports’ account of the season arc frames the situation as a “broadly” better team that still has roster concerns, especially in the rotation.

The Painter challenge is not only about results, but also about the way those results are arriving. CBS Sports noted that Painter has allowed 11 home runs in 58 innings and is striking out opponents at a low rate, while also pointing to a fielding-independent pitching number (FIP) that is still well above league-normal. It also described underlying pitching-shape concerns, including issues with how his fastball is missing bats and how easily contact can turn into damage when he is not controlling the ball well.

Why keep him anyway comes back to depth, or the lack of it. CBS Sports reported that the viable rotation alternatives currently stationed at Triple-A Lehigh Valley have produced a combined ERA of 5.04 across 40 starts and 184 innings, with an average age of 29 and no one among the organization’s top 30 prospects. In a separate interview, Don Mattingly also described the logic from the other side: the Phillies do not want to send Painter to Triple-A because they lack a dependable alternate fifth starter, even if they could theoretically move him down.

The Phillies’ approach appears designed around keeping Painter on a structured developmental plan rather than yanking him after rough outings. In mid-May, Mattingly explained a decision to lift Painter after five innings in a loss to the Red Sox, saying the plan was for Painter to reach that checkpoint and that the rookie did “what we wanted.” Mattingly’s comments underscore that Philadelphia’s priority is learning, efficiency, and innings management, even when the scoreboard is not cooperating.

The next test, for Painter and for the Phillies’ rotation, is whether the club can get more consistent length and fewer game-turning mistakes from the innings they are already committing. CBS Sports also pointed to continued struggles from the broader rotation, including a reference to Aaron Nola’s season ERA and his mark since the start of last season, which raises the cost of every short start. If Painter cannot stabilize soon, Philadelphia may eventually be forced into a bigger lineup of changes, but for now the organization is betting that patience paired with structure is the only workable path with its current depth.

Over 11 starts, Painter has been a high-variance piece in the Phillies’ rotation. That makes Mattingly’s posture more than a managerial preference, it is a reflection of how Philadelphia is trying to balance player development with the immediate math of staying in the race. In the coming weeks, the emphasis will likely remain on whether Painter’s command improves enough to reduce walks, limit extra-base damage, and move his innings per start closer to what the rest of the staff needs.

keyFacts