Phillies Injury Updates: The latest on No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter

The Latest Phillies Injury Updates

• Andrew Painter (Tommy John surgery)
• Status: Minor league 60-day injured list
• The No. 1 overall prospect in the Phillies’ minor league system underwent Tommy John surgery on July 25, 2023.
• Painter is throwing 25-pitch bullpens every Tuesday and Friday. He’s only throwing fastballs and changeups currently. Thomson didn’t rule out the 21-year-old pitching in simulated games — which are a controlled setting — before the end of the year. However, he doesn’t believe he’ll be pitching for an affiliate at any point in 2024. (Updated by Tim Kelly on June 29)

• Luis Ortiz (Tommy John surgery)
• Status: 15-day injured list
• Ortiz is set to undergo Tommy John surgery on July 11, Thomson announced. Ortiz had previously departed a rehab appearance with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 18 with forearm discomfort.(Updated by Tim Kelly on June 29.)

• Bryce Harper (left hamstring strain)
• Status: 10-day injured list
• Harper suffered a left hamstring strain while running to first base during the bottom of the ninth inning of the June 27 game against the Miami Marlins. This is the first time in his career Harper has landed on the injured list with a soft tissue injury.
• Rob Thomson compared Harper’s hamstring injury to the one Brandon Marsh suffered a few weeks ago. Thomson said there is no timeline for Harper’s return, but he doesn’t expect him to be out long, mentioning he’s hopeful Harper could return within 10-14 days. “We dodged a bullet,” Thomson said about Harper’s injury. (Updated by Bailey Digh on June 28.)

Phillies have avoided worst-case scenario with Harper, Schwarber

• Kyle Schwarber (left groin strain)
• Status: 10-day injured list
• Schwarber was removed during the ninth inning of the June 27 game against the Marlins with left groin tightness. He suffered the injury while running to back up a ball that got past the shortstop Edmundo Sosa in left field.
• Thomson said Schwarber’s groin strain is “very, very mild.” Like Harper, the Phillies don’t expect Schwarber to be out long. The same time period as Harper — 10 to 14 days — is what Thomson is hopeful for when it comes to Schwarber returning from the injured list. (Updated by Bailey Digh on June 28.)

• J.T. Realmuto (right knee surgery)
• Status: 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 10
• The Phillies announced on June 11 that Realmuto had been placed on the injured list with right knee pain. He underwent successful right knee meniscectomy surgery on June 12. At the time of his placement on the IL, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski estimated the team would be without Realmuto for “about a month” following the completion of his procedure. Realmuto said he initially suffered the tear during an early May rainy game against the Giants as he was rounding third. He played through the injury, but he was unable to tolerate the pain, making surgery a necessity.
• Realmuto is going to take dry swings and hit off a tee on Friday, according to Thomson. How is he progressing? “Good,” said the Phillies’ manager. (Updated by Bailey Digh on June 28)

J.T. Realmuto (knee) hopes to be back before All-Star break

• Spencer Turnbull (right lat strain)
• Status: 15-day injured list, out 6-8 weeks
• Turnbull will be out until August with a right lat strain. He was lifted from his start against the Detroit Tigers after three innings on June 26 with right shoulder soreness. He expressed optimism about his status to reporters in Detroit after the game, but testing revealed a more significant injury.
• “With his injury history, we’re gonna be careful with him and make sure we do this thing right,” Thomson said on June 27. (Updated by Destiny Lugardo on June 28.)

Phillies rotation depth to be tested as Spencer Turnbull will miss extended period

• Taijuan Walker (right index finger inflammation)
• Status: 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 22
• Walker has inflammation in his right index finger and a blister on the inside (right) of it. RHP Michael Mercado was called up to take his spot on the 26-man roster.
• Walker is still able to throw a fastball, but not the splitter, which involves putting the ball between his right index and middle finger. Thomson said he is playing catch and throwing weighed balls as he tries to gain some arm strength. He is not expected to return before the All-Star break, even with Turnbull out 6-8 weeks. (Updated by Destiny Lugardo on June 28.)

• Michael Rucker (right hand arterial vasospasm)
• Status: 60-day injured list
• Rucker threw a bullpen session on May 14, and is set to throw another one on May 17.
• Rucker was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 3.
• The plan is for Rucker to make a rehab appearance for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 21. (Updated by Tim Kelly on June 19.)

• Dylan Covey (right shoulder strain)
• Status: 60-day injured list
• Covey is still dealing with his shoulder strain, and was backed off of throwing. As he was doing some conditioning work, he also slightly pulled a hamstring. He was in Philadelphia on May 8 seeing team doctors, but was expected to head back to Clearwater on May 10.
• Covey was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 1. (Updated by Bailey Digh on June 4.)

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