Andrew Painter was all set to make the Philadelphia Phillies' opening day roster. That was until he had some tests done on his elbow last week. Now, Painter's future is up in the air.
Painter is a top prospect in the Phillies organization. He's ranked as the third-best pitching prospect in all of baseball. The elbow issue was the last thing he and the team wanted to deal with.
Manager Rob Thomson doesn't want to rush anything. Painter will likely get some doctor recommendations and devise a plan from there.
He's an important part of their organization going forward. The last thing the Phillies want to do is rush him back and lose him later in his career. Perhaps what Painter is dealing with is minor so that he can make his MLB debut this season.
"Trying to stay positive, but it's getting harder to do" one fan tweeted.
"Not good at all," another fan tweeted.
Philadelphia Phillies fans are bracing themselves for the worst. Whenever a pitcher goes down with an elbow issue, the first thought is Tommy John surgery.
Most fans expected a concrete update on Painter's status over the weekend but never got it. They're left with this update that doesn't tell them much. It's been a confusing couple of days for Phillies fans.
The Philadelphia Phillies must stay healthy to compete in the National League East
The Philadelphia Phillies made some upgrades over the winter to try to compete in the division. Their biggest addition was signing All-Star shortstop Trea Turner in free agency. Turner joins his former Washington Nationals teammates Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
They'll look to Turner and Schwarber to carry the majority of the workload before Harper returns. Harper underwent elbow surgery over the winter. He likely won't be back until the All-Star break as the team's designated hitter.
They'll need their core to stay healthy if they want to compete with the New York Mets, who are the favorites to win the division. The Mets made a ton of upgrades in the offseason. On paper, they look like one of the teams that will contend for a World Series title.
The National League East will be a division that baseball fans will want to keep an eye on. It could be a tight race coming down to the final game of the season.