The Philadelphia Phillies made a notable adjustment to their starting rotation by optioning Andrew Painter to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after his recent struggles. Painter wasn’t consistently giving the team a chance to win, leading the organization to send him down alongside left-handed reliever Tanner Banks so both could work through their issues in the minors.
Painter’s spot in the rotation was filled by veteran arm, who had previously been used in a bulk-inning role behind an opener. In his most recent outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Rangel was given the ball as a traditional starter and responded with a strong performance. He threw four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and four walks while striking out four. Despite the solid effort, he did not factor into the decision.
In a surprising move, the Phillies sent Rangel back to Triple-A immediately after the game. The decision was puzzling, especially with the team only needing a No. 5 starter one more time before the All-Star break. Based on his performance, Rangel appeared to have earned the opportunity to remain with the major-league club in some capacity.
Since taking over for Painter, Rangel pitched 13 innings across three appearances, allowing five earned runs while recording 12 strikeouts and six walks. He consistently kept Philadelphia competitive, even though the offense scored just four total runs during his outings.
That effectiveness stands in contrast to the struggles of Aaron Nola, whose 6.04 ERA is the worst of his career and has often left the Phillies fighting uphill battles when he takes the mound.
Rangel is expected to return to the big-league roster at some point later this summer, but the decision to demote him now has left fans scratching their heads. The move may simply reflect a desire for fresh arms, as Philadelphia prepares for a stretch of nine consecutive games heading into the All-Star break after a July 3 off day before traveling to face the Kansas City Royals.