The last thing any MLB team wants to hear is that a pitcher is dealing with elbow soreness or pain. The Philadelphia Phillies currently have their fingers crossed, as top prospect and potential 2023 rotation option Andrew Painter is dealing with a “tender” elbow, per Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Phillies' manager Rob Thomson revealed that Painter said his elbow felt “tender” on Friday. The Phillies expect to have more information over the weekend. It should be noted that pitchers tend to deal with extra soreness during the spring. This news isn't necessarily a worst case scenario. However, an elbow ailment is always scary for pitchers.

Andrew Painter has impressed so far during Spring Training. As mentioned earlier, he has a realistic chance of breaking camp with the big league club despite being just 19-years old. He's already flashed signs of dominance and features steady control on the mound. The Phillies, and people all over the MLB world for that matter, believe he's an ace in the making.

For now, all we can do is speculate on Andrew Painter's potential injury. Philadelphia will likely make an official announcement on Saturday or Sunday once a diagnosis is made available.

Philadelphia has enough talent on the big league roster to compete regardless of what the future has in store for Andrew Painter. With that being said, the Phillies would love to have him healthy and available during the 2023 campaign.

We will monitor and provide updates on Painter's status as they are made available.