DENVER — The Phillies are encouraged by how Andrew Painter's arm has responded after six minor-league starts and will extend him a bit farther on Wednesday night.
Painter's limit will be five innings and 75 pitches just like it was last Thursday for the IronPigs, but this time they will send him back out for the sixth if his pitch count is below 75.
"He's been really good, recovering great," manager Rob Thomson said from Coors Field before the second of four games against the Rockies.
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SIGN UP HERE "He could get a sixth up. Last time was five innings or 75 pitches and he was 5-71. This time, it's 5-75 and he could go back out for the sixth. It's more about pitch count now than ups."
(Ups refer to a pitcher ending one inning and coming back out for the next.)
Painter will also pitch on one fewer day of rest than he did in his first six minor-league starts, four of which came with Single A Clearwater. He had been pitching with six days in between starts but this will be five days.
"I would think for the time being he'll stay on the sixth day," Thomson said when asked if the Phillies might soon get Painter onto a big-league rotation schedule of pitching every fifth day.
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Nola update
Aaron Nola was placed on the 15-day IL on Friday with a right ankle sprain and is still feeling some discomfort putting on a shoe.
"It kind've pinches his ankle. But he's getting better," Thomson said.
Nola has played catch but has not yet thrown off a mound since the injury. The Phillies are shooting for the weekend for him to throw a bullpen session but that's not definite.
Nola was 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA when he went on the injured list. He was replaced for one start by Mick Abel, who struck out nine Pirates over six scoreless innings Sunday in one of the best starting pitching debuts in team history.
Abel was sent back to Triple A on Monday and will continue to start for Lehigh Valley, where he's 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA in his last four starts. Taijuan Walker is now in Nola's rotation spot and will start Wednesday.