RADIO
Phillies Demote Rookie Pitcher Andrew Painter to Triple-A
The Philadelphia Phillies demoted right-hander Andrew Painter to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. After losing to the division-rival Miami Marlins on Wednesday, Painter is 1-8 with a 7.06 ERA in his first 14 appearances (12 starts) in his first year in the big leagues in 2026. The 23-year-old former 13th overall pick in 2021 struggled again on Wednesday in Philly's 12-4 loss, allowing six earned runs on six hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out three in just two innings pitched. Painter has really struggled of late, surrendering five-plus runs in each of his last three starts. It's unclear who will take Painter's spot in the starting rotation to close out the first half of the 2026 season. Painter will head back to the Iron Pigs to work on some things, but he'll most likely be back up with Philly at some point in the second half. Fantasy managers in single-year mixed leagues shouldn't consider him a must-hold amidst his struggles. Painter is currently rostered in only 11% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: USA Today Sports - Bob Nightengale
Source: USA Today Sports - Bob Nightengale
Cristopher Sanchez Continues Dominant Season With 10-Strikeout Performance
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez continued his dominant 2026 season with another gem in Monday night's 5-2 win on the road at the Rogers Centre against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays. Sanchez allowed two earned runs on four hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out 10 in seven innings to win his eighth game of the season. The 29-year-old Dominican southpaw is the front-runner for the Cy Young award in the American League at this juncture, and he lowered his season ERA to 1.54 with his latest impressive outing on Monday night. Sanchez allowed just his fourth home run of the year in the outing, but he also struck out double-digit hitters for the fourth time in 2026. Since giving up a season-high six earned runs on April 23 against the Chicago Cubs, Sanchez has allowed just five earned runs in his last eight starts. He has a much more challenging matchup on tap this Sunday against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers, but Sanchez is a set-and-forget pitching asset in traditional fantasy baseball leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Aaron Nola Reinstated from Paternity List, Strikes Out Eight on Tuesday
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola was reinstated from the paternity list before his start on Tuesday against the San Diego Padres. The 32-year-old pitched well in his return to the mound, allowing just four hits and two earned runs while striking out eight across five innings of work. It's been a rough season overall for Nola, who owns a 3-4 record with a 5.55 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts across 61 2/3 innings (12 starts). However, Nola has still posted a strong 17.4% K-BB rate. The underlying indicators point to poor luck for the veteran right-hander, as he's recorded a 4.20 FIP and 3.45 xFIP. Fantasy managers should proceed with caution given Nola's struggles over the past two seasons, but he could be a decent buy-low target in deeper leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Aaron Nola Goes on Paternity Leave List
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola was placed on the paternity leave list on Friday. The right-hander will be away from the team for a few days while he welcomes a new member to his family. Nola is currently scheduled to take the ball against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Nola should be back in time for that game, so fantasy managers shouldn't need to worry about him missing a start. The right-hander has posted ugly numbers anyway, with a 5.16 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and 56:18 K:BB ratio across 11 starts this season. In a corresponding move, reliever Nolan Hoffman has been recalled to take over the spot on the active roster. Fantasy managers should check back ahead of Tuesday's game for another update on Nola.
Source: Philadelphia Phillies
Source: Philadelphia Phillies
Gage Wood a Top Stash Ahead of Potential MLB Debut in 2026?
Philadelphia Phillies right-handed pitching prospect Gage Wood is currently in Double-A and has been in pro baseball for less than a year. However, the 22-year-old has already emerged as an intriguing prospect to stash in fantasy baseball, as there's a chance he could be on the fast track to making his MLB debut this season. Across 10 starts between Single-A and Double-A this year, Wood owns a 3.17 FIP and 2.48 xERA with 13.50 K/9, 3.51 BB/9, and 0.81 HR/9. In addition to his impressive control, he has shown an ability to induce weak contact with a 54.4% ground ball rate. Wood possesses an impressive four-pitch mix that includes a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. His four-seamer sits in the mid-to-high 90s with a 38% whiff rate and .189 xBA. The slider has a 36.2% whiff rate, and the curveball and changeup both have 50% whiff rates. All four have the potential to be plus offerings, giving Wood the inside path to being MLB-ready sooner rather than later. He's worth stashing in deeper fantasy leagues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Cristopher Sanchez Makes History With Seven More Shutout Innings Against Padres
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez continued his dominant ways in Wednesday's series finale at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres in the team's 3-0 and made Phillies history by passing Grover Alexander for the longest scoreless-innings streak (44 2/3 innings). Sanchez was electric yet again against the feeble Padres offense, tossing seven shutout innings with six hits allowed, no walks, and nine strikeouts to lower his season ERA to league-best 1.47. The 29-year-old southpaw induced 18 swings and misses on the day and threw 67 of his 100 pitches for strikes. If he keeps going at this pace, Sanchez will most likely be the unanimous National League Cy Young winner in 2026. Along with his league-best 1.47 ERA, Sanchez is also carrying a 1.12 WHIP with 95 strikeouts and 16 walks in his 79 1/3 innings pitched across 12 starts. The Dominican hurler will end an amazing month of May in which he didn't allow a single run while walking just three and striking out 45 in 39 innings pitched over his five starts. Now that is dominance.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Gage Wood to Make Double-A Debut on Friday, Could See Late-Season Call-Up
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Gage Wood has received the call-up to Double-A Reading. The right-hander is set to make his debut with Double-A on Friday. He earned the promotion after posting a 3.42 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 40:12 K:BB ratio across eight starts in Low-A Clearwater this season. Wood was the Phillies' first-round pick from the 2025 Draft and could be on the fast track to Philly. Given the Phillies' lack of viable pitching depth, Wood making his MLB debut this season shouldn't be ruled out. Fantasy managers in deep leagues should keep an eye on Wood as the season goes on. He could be a possible call-up candidate if he continues having this kind of success going forward.
Source: Milb Central
Source: Milb Central
Andrew Painter Logs First Career Quality Start, Worth Adding in Deeper Leagues?
Philadelphia Phillies right-handed rookie Andrew Painter could begin attracting interest in fantasy baseball leagues after his first career quality start on Monday night in a no-decision against the visiting Cincinnati Reds in the team's 5-4 win. Painter allowed two earned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out three in six innings of work in his ninth appearance in the big leagues. The 23-year-old threw 44 of his 69 pitches for strikes. Painter came into the 2026 campaign as one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball after recovering from injuries that slowed his progress down in the minors in recent years. The Phillies are being cautious not to overwork him early on, which is why he hasn't gone 70 pitches in any of his outings so far. After his strong performance on Monday night, Painter is now 1-4 with a 5.77 ERA (4.60 FIP) and 1.49 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and 14 walks in 43 2/3 innings across his nine appearances (eight starts) for the Phillies. Painter's leash should continue to get longer as the season progresses, making him a waiver-wire target in deeper leagues. He's scheduled to take on the Cleveland Guardians his next time out this weekend.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Cristopher Sanchez Dazzles With 13-Strikeout Complete Game on Saturday
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez was at the top of his game in a masterful performance on Saturday night in the team's 6-0 shutout win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Sanchez threw a complete-game shutout with six hits allowed, no walks, and 13 strikeouts to drop his season ERA to a stingy 1.82 in his 10th start of 2026. The 29-year-old Dominican southpaw now has five wins on the season as well. His outstanding performance on Saturday evening was his second career complete-game shutout, and his 13 punchouts were a career high. Sanchez has been amazing so far this year for the Phillies and his fantasy managers, going at least seven innings while giving up zero runs in three straight starts this month. He's a set-and-forget fantasy starting pitcher with an upcoming matchup against the first-place Cleveland Guardians, a team that ranks only 24th in OPS (.689) and 19th in home runs (43) in 2026.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Can Zack Wheeler Sustain His Strong Start to 2026?
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler's start to the 2026 season was delayed by the shoulder injury that ended his 2025 campaign. Since making his return on April 25, Wheeler has recorded a 2-0 record with a 2.55 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts across 24 2/3 innings (four starts). By the top line numbers, the 35-year-old has mostly looked like his vintage self. However, there are a few minor red flags in Wheeler's profile. For one, his average fastball velocity currently sits at 94.9 miles per hour, down from 96 mph in 2025. Wheeler's 23.2% strikeout rate is also way down from his 33.3% rate in 2025 and would be his worst mark since the shortened 2020 season. Given Wheeler's extended track record as one of the best pitchers in baseball, he deserves the benefit of the doubt and could simply be rounding into form after a long injury layoff. Still, fantasy managers may want to prepare for potential regression from Wheeler.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Are Aaron Nola's Days as a Viable Fantasy Starter Over?
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola has struggled mightily through his first eight starts of 2026, posting a 2-3 record with a 5.14 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts across 42 innings. The 32-year-old's issues are a continuation of his down season in 2025, when he logged a 6.01 ERA across 17 starts. Nola's 24% strikeout rate is down from his peak, but remains a manageable figure. However, his 8.2% walk rate is his worst since 2019. The long ball is also a major impediment to success for Nola, as he owns a 1.50 HR/9 after recording a 1.72 HR/9 in 2025. While Nola allowed homers at a high rate even during his peak years, he no longer limits traffic well enough to work around his tendency to get taken deep. Nola's track record of success and his continued ability to rack up strikeouts allow him to maintain some fantasy appeal, but he's prone to a blow-up start at any time at this point in his career.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jesus Luzardo Continues to be Volatile in Second Season With Phillies
After a three-start stretch where he didn't allow more than two earned runs, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo fell apart again in his latest outing on Friday against the Colorado Rockies, allowing six earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking three and striking out six in a season-low three innings of work. The 28-year-old southpaw is now 3-3 on the year with a bloated 5.98 ERA (2.96 FIP) and 1.39 WHIP with 57 strikeouts and 12 walks in 43 2/3 innings over his eight starts for Philly. He has failed to go five innings in three of his eight starts and has allowed five-plus runs in four of his outings so far. At this point, fantasy managers may not know what to do with him. Opponents are currently hitting .278 against him, but Luzardo holds an expected average of just .236, while the difference in his wOBA (.334) and xwOBA (.286) also shows that he's been hit with some pretty bad luck early on. Luzardo also ranks in the 91st percentile in strikeout rate and 82nd percentile in walk rate. He's a prime buy-low candidate, and he could easily dominate his next time out against the struggling Boston Red Sox.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
