Right-hander Andrew Painter was in complete control through five innings against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, May 13, before the game turned once the Philadelphia Phillies decided to lift him after just 62 pitches—a move that sparked debate about interim manager Don Mattingly’s bullpen call.
“I thought it was a good moment for Banksy, and we also liked the matchup to get Kirk in there,” Mattingly explained to reporters, including MLB.com’s Paul Casella. “I felt like Kerkering just barely missed his location.”
Those two relievers became central to the inning’s unraveling. Left-hander Tanner Banks opened the sixth in a 1–1 game, retiring Mickey Gasper on a lineout before surrendering a single to Wilyer Abreu. He recovered to strike out Willson Contreras, then handed the ball to Orion Kerkering. On Kerkering’s fourth pitch, pinch-hitter Ceddanne Rafaela crushed a go-ahead homer over the Green Monster.
Painter appeared poised for his strongest outing since his season debut, when he went 5.1 innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts against Washington. He has yet to complete six innings in a major-league start, but with his pitch count sitting at just 62 after five, a first career quality start seemed well within reach—until he was removed.
Boston managed only four hits against Painter, who struck out four and did not issue a walk. The lone run came on a Trevor Story solo shot in the second inning. Painter faced some traffic in the third after hitting Gasper and allowing a single to Abreu, but he escaped by inducing a double-play grounder from Contreras.
There were no signs of fatigue as the game went on. Painter struck out all three batters in the fifth, finishing the inning by firing a 98 mph fastball past Jarren Duran. Given that Boston ranks last in baseball in wRC+ against right-handed pitching, turning to the left-handed Banks was a curious choice. Painter, however, took the decision in stride.
“I don’t make those calls,” Painter said via Casella. “My job is just to pitch until they tell me I’m done.”
Will Painter Be Limited?
Selected 13th overall in the 2021 draft, Painter dominated during his first full professional season, posting a 1.56 ERA across 22 starts at three minor-league levels. Injuries then stalled his progress, keeping him off the mound entirely in 2023 and 2024.
Even so, Painter entered 2025 ranked as the organization’s top prospect by MLB Pipeline. He experienced some struggles last year, recording a 5.26 ERA between Single-A and Triple-A, but still logged 118 innings in his first season back from injury. With that history, it’s likely the Phillies are monitoring his workload closely in his first major-league campaign.