After a long 2 year wait, it is almost over for Andrew Painter. The Phillies’ most hyped pitching prospect since Cole Hamels is set to begin his long-anticipated return to professional baseball. Manager Rob Thomson announced Sunday that the 21-year-old right-hander will make his first official minor league start since 2022 on Friday for Single-A Clearwater, marking a crucial step in his comeback from Tommy John surgery.

Painter, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, last pitched in a competitive minor league game nearly two years ago. He was sidelined early in 2023 with elbow discomfort and eventually underwent surgery, costing him two full seasons of development. Now, the Phillies are putting their top prospect back on the mound — but with caution.

“We’re going to be conservative and make sure we take care of him,” Thomson said before Sunday’s series finale against the Dodgers. “The biggest thing is he gets through it, throws strikes, and the stuff is there. That’s what I’m looking for.”

Andrew Painter looks to start the rehab process for Phillies after TJ surgery

Painter’s first outing will be limited to roughly two innings, and he’s expected to pitch just once a week as he builds up his workload slowly. The plan is to gradually climb through the Phillies’ farm system over the next few months, with a potential MLB debut targeted for mid-to-late summer — “July-ish,” as team president Dave Dombrowski described it.

After two years off the radar, Painter re-emerged in the Arizona Fall League last year and immediately reminded everyone why he’s still ranked as one of the top prospects in baseball. He posted a 2.30 ERA across 15 2/3 innings and was named AFL Pitcher of the Year, flashing the triple-digit fastball and a newly improved slider he developed during his extended recovery.

Painter himself welcomed the chance to pitch under the lights again. “I thought it would be some peace of mind seeing hitters in a game atmosphere, getting under the lights, real umpire back there, not just lobs on the backfield,” he said in spring training. “That makes me more confident rolling into this year.”

Philadelphia, currently 6-2 and sitting near the top of the NL East, isn’t in urgent need of rotation help. With Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, Cristopher Sanchez, and Jesus Luzardo anchoring the staff — and Taijuan Walker expected back soon — the team has the luxury of easing Painter in. He could serve as a late-season rotation boost, a long reliever, or even be part of a six-man rotation.

“He has the potential to be a No. 1, top-of-the-rotation type of starter,” Dombrowski said. “Maybe he wouldn’t be ours right off the bat. We’ve got some pretty good ones. But he has that type of potential for the long-term.” For now, the Phillies just want to get him through his first start. After two years of setbacks, the climb back to the big leagues begins Friday.