PhilaPhans

For fun, let's just keep it all in one spot and see how it progresses throughout the season. It's definitely a Top 3 topic for the 2023 season.

Here's the VERY LATEST:

CLEARWATER, Fla. — An MRI on March 3 revealed that 19-year-old Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter has a right proximal ulnar collateral ligament sprain, according to the Phillies. Painter sought a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who confirmed a UCL sprain. The pitcher will rest for four weeks and then begin a light tossing progression, according to the team.

Generally speaking, I think there's a lot here to be encouraged about. He's not out for the year. He will be handled deliberately and with caution. He will not be overworked, and -- especially -- he will not be overworked during the first half of the year. He should be capped around 110 innings this year and, in a perfect world, a good portion of those innings come in meaningful games.

I'm disappointed. I really wanted to see him start.

Christopher wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 4:02 pm Generally speaking, I think there's a lot here to be encouraged about. He's not out for the year. He will be handled deliberately and with caution. He will not be overworked, and -- especially -- he will not be overworked during the first half of the year. He should be capped around 110 innings this year and, in a perfect world, a good portion of those innings come in meaningful games.

Which what was everyone (at least on this forum) was expecting at playoff time last year.

Do we know what "GRADE" the sprain is?

1, 2 or 3 ?


Seems like "surgery" is a COMMON option with this injury.....

UCL sprain almost always leads to TJ surgery. It might be better just to get it over with right now. The chances of that healing to where he can throw a baseball in the high 90's is remote. Instead,they will give him rest, then probably a PSP injection, then have him throw again, maybe in May, then he will either blow it out completely or be shut down again. No, I am not a doctor, just a baseball fan, who has witnessed this dilema several times.All you have to do is look how Bryce Harper was handled last year. I wish Painter the best and will be praying for him, but this is why there's no such thing as a pitching prospect. Repeat after me: "There is no such thing as a pitching prospect."

As others pointed out though, it's not at the point now where it REQUIRES surgery.
Pre-emptive surgery, before it's medically warranted, of such a serious magnitude is both an unwise risk and medically unsound.
Some pitchers simply don't recover from TJS. You don't do it until there are no other options.

BelmontShore wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 5:56 pm I'm disappointed. I really wanted to see him start.

Same for me. It has dampened down things a bit, but all in all, the news is not horrible.