ATLANTA, GA JUNE 14: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Nick Pivetta (43) looks on from the dugout during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies on June 14th, 2019 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Phillies’ rotation has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, emerging as one of the best units in all of baseball.
In the latest positive development for the group, rookie Andrew Painter seized on the chance to become a key part of the rotation down the stretch in his latest start on Saturday, delivering seven innings of one-run baseball in a dominant win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
“The 23-year-old right-hander continued to rise to the challenge Saturday night with the longest and best start of his young career – seven innings of one-run ball in a 12-3 thrashing of the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park,” Jim Salisbury wrote for NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He’s become the fifth starter this team needed.”
That emergence is another reminder of how much the Phillies’ pitching picture has changed since 2020, the year that the team acquired ace Zack Wheeler and said good to longtime starter Nick Pivetta.
Former Philadelphia Phillies Starter Gets Contract Update After Injury Setback
Pivetta, who has drastically improved his career since leaving the Phillies, has struggled to stay healthy this season.
Most recently, that has activated a club option on his contract with the San Diego Padres.
“Friday marked the 131st consecutive day of Pivetta’s IL stint, which has now triggered a contract clause that gives the Padres some flexibility in walking away from the two years and $32MM remaining on Pivetta’s deal,” Mark Polishuk reported for MLB Trade Rumors. “The righty signed a four-year, $55MM free agent deal with San Diego in February 2025 that broke down as $23MM in guaranteed money over the first two years, and Pivetta then had the ability to opt out after the second and third years of the contract.”
But, evidently fearing he could struggle to make starts, the Padres included the clause in the event that he spent at least 130 consecutive days on the injured list last season or in this season.
Pivetta’s latest injury setbacks come after his Phillies exit turned into a revival with the Boston Red Sox.
Nick Pivetta’s Philadelphia Phillies Tenure Was A Roller Coaster
Pivetta’s career took off after the Phillies acquired him from Washington in 2015, and he eventually made his major league debut with Philadelphia in 2017.
Pivetta showed promise during his Phillies tenure, but consistency remained elusive. He struck out 140 batters over 133 innings as a rookie in 2017 and followed that with 188 strikeouts across 164 innings in 2018.
His final season in Philadelphia was particularly difficult. After struggling as a starter, he moved into the bullpen before ultimately leaving the organization. Looking back after finding success elsewhere, Pivetta acknowledged the difference in his performance.
“I didn’t throw very well at the end with Philly and I’ve been throwing well since,” he told NBC Sports Philadelphia in 2021. “I’ve made the right adjustments that I’ve needed to make. It’s a lot more fun and it’s a lot easier when you’re going out, competing in baseball games and everything’s going right so you can focus on how to continue going right instead of fighting for your life.”
Now, Pivetta’s contract change gives San Diego considerably more control over his future once he returns from injury. And it served as a reminder of the up-and-down career he has seen ever since making his debut with the Phillies.