Painter's Fastball in Crisis

Andrew Painter’s rookie season with the Phillies is hitting rough patches, and his fastball — once his ace weapon — is now his biggest liability. In a recent loss to the White Sox, he surrendered six earned runs in just four and two-thirds innings, with the damage starting in the first inning. Opposing batters are crushing his heater at a .383 average and .543 slugging percentage, despite it still flying at 96 mph. The problem? Command. Hitters are sitting on it, and Painter’s off-speed pitches can’t compensate without his fastball in control. If he doesn’t fix it fast, his entire game — and the Phillies’ pitching future — could be in jeopardy. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/fc8f39ca090fd88e