Rookie right-hander Andrew Painter has earned the Philadelphia Phillies' final rotation spot for Opening Day, manager Rob Thomson announced Friday. The 6-foot-7 pitcher, who turns 24 on April 10, will join an experienced staff that includes Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker after recovering from Tommy John surgery in July 2023.

Painter, a first-round pick in the 2021 amateur draft, showed significant velocity improvement last season, averaging 95.6 mph on his fastball in the minor leagues and reaching 100.2 mph according to Statcast. His recovery and development have been closely watched by the Phillies organization, which considers him among their top prospects.

The Phillies' rotation will open without Zack Wheeler, who remains on the injured list recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. Cristopher Sánchez will start the season opener against Texas on Thursday, followed by Nola, Jesús Luzardo, Walker, and Painter rounding out the five-man staff.