Phillies' Andrew Painter: Nearing rehab assignment

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Friday that Painter (elbow) could begin a rehab assignment soon, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Painter had a two-inning live batting practice session Friday that went well and the next step for the right-hander could be pitching in a game. He is healthy, but Painter is being slow-played by the Phillies as he comes back from Tommy John surgery in July 2023. The top prospect is expected to become an option for the big-league rotation around midseason.