What's the Phillies' plan for top prospect Painter?

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PHILADELPHIA -- Top prospect Andrew Painter is progressing exactly as planned with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Painter has a 2.65 ERA in four starts with Lehigh Valley. He's racked up 20 strikeouts in 17 innings. His fastball is sitting right around 97 mph -- and has topped out at 100 mph. Most importantly, he's shown no reason for concern as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.

Is there anything else the Phillies want to see from Painter?

"Health," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "That's it."

The plan has always been for Painter to make his MLB debut in "July-ish." Thomson may have provided a bit more clarity recently on when exactly we might see Painter in the big leagues.

While the situation remains fluid, Thomson indicated that the club plans to use the All-Star break -- which runs from July 14-17 -- to let Painter rest and recharge.

Asked if Painter could make his MLB debut prior to that stretch, Thomson said: "I don't think so."

The Phillies come out of the break with a six-game homestand. They host the Angels from July 18-20 before taking on the Red Sox from July 21-23. It's possible Painter makes his MLB debut in one of those games. That said, the Phillies are obviously keeping their options open.

Painter has pitched a total of 28 1/3 innings across the Minors this season (11 1/3 for Single-A Clearwater and 17 for Triple-A Lehigh Valley). He's expected to extend out to pitching into the sixth inning in his next outing -- tentatively scheduled for Wednesday with the IronPigs in Charlotte.

The plan all along was to delay Painter's progression this spring so that he can still have innings left to help the team down the stretch and into the postseason.

"He's right where we want," Thomson said of Painter's innings count to this point.

There isn't an obvious need in the big league rotation at the moment, even with Aaron Nola likely sidelined until at least mid-June.

Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo (Saturday’s hiccup aside) have all pitched well for a starting rotation that leads the Majors with 369 strikeouts. The club also announced on Sunday that Mick Abel (No. 8 prospect) will rejoin the rotation on Thursday, moving Taijuan Walker to a permanent bullpen role. Abel, who tossed six scoreless innings in his May 18 MLB debut, is 6-2 with a 2.21 ERA in 10 starts with Lehigh Valley this season.

Even following his remarkable debut, Abel went back to Triple-A and picked up right where he left off. In two starts since, he allowed just one earned run and struck out 16 batters over 10 2/3 innings.

“Very impressed, because a lot of times you don't see that,” Thomson said. “You see an adrenaline dump when guys go back down, but he's been really good. Really consistent.”

Now, if a need was to present itself, Thomson has said the Phillies will not move Walker back into the rotation.

So if another pitcher went down while Nola was still out, or if a couple guys hit the IL in late June or early July, that would likely be the only way Painter finds his way to Philadelphia before the All-Star break.

"Who knows what could happen?" Thomson said. "But we've always targeted July."