:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/W6FPJDMAX7ZTKS3XZWCAX556RA.jpg "Painter, Phillies prospect, dazzles in preseason")
Apparently, Andrew Painter wasn’t nervous about making his big-stage debut.
The Philadelphia Phillies prospect, a fastball specialist, hit 99 mph on Wednesday in his preseason debut against Minnesota. The 19-year-old allowed one run and three hits in two innings, striking out a pair.
He made a solid move to stay in Philadelphia’s starting rotation. On April 10, he will be 20 years old.
Painter, who is 2 meters (6ft 7in), showed why the Phillies expected so much of him. Picked 13th overall in the amateur draft, the pitcher nearly hit 100 mph on radar against Carlos Correa in the first inning.
Correa ended up hitting a field single.
“You know? This kid is pretty good at what he does,” Painter joked with the press in reference to Correa.
The painter made 29 throws, including 18 strikes. The match even ended 4-4.
GUZMAN ON THE HILL
Ronald Guzmán is serious when he says he wants to try his hand at pitching. And the San Francisco Giants aren’t kidding either when they say they’ll give the veteran first baseman a chance.
The 28-year-old Dominican pitched in the ninth inning of San Francisco’s 8-5 loss to Arizona. He gave up a solo home run from PJ Higgins but knocked out Jake Hager on three pitches.
He looked efficient in his work of 12 pitches, eight of which were strikes.
Guzman signed a minor league contract with a winter preseason invite with San Francisco as a throwing and hitting player.
The southpaw played 246 games for Texas and the New York Yankees from 2018-22, as a first baseman and designated hitter.
THE RETURN OF SALE
Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale could make his Grapefruit League debut next week.
A seven-time All-Star, Sale threw 43 pitches in two innings of batting practice Wednesday. Puerto Rican manager Alex Cora told reporters Sale should be given the go-ahead to work two to three innings into a game next week.
Sale, 33, was limited to two starts last year and 11 in total since 2020 due to various health issues. He reached the preseason without limits, although Boston preferred caution to avoid any relapse.