Andrew Painter was scratched from his Sunday start against the Arizona Diamondbacks because of a migraine, and Zach Pop will take the ball for the Phillies instead. The switch leaves Philadelphia to use a bullpen game on a day it had lined up Painter for his third start of the season.
The move came after Painter was expected to face Arizona following a four-run outing against the San Francisco Giants. Todd Zolecki reported the news, writing that Painter had been scratched because of a migraine and that Pop would start.
Pop entered Sunday with a 3.38 ERA, giving the Phillies a ready arm on short notice. Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic also reported that Painter might still be able to come out of the bullpen if needed, which would give Philadelphia a limited fallback if the game turns tight early.
The timing matters because the Phillies were already navigating rotation questions around the fourth and fifth spots this season. Zack Wheeler was out to begin the year, which pushed more of the load onto Taijuan Walker and Painter, and Walker had earned the win against Arizona on Saturday.
Philadelphia now has to get through Sunday without the starter it had lined up, then turn around for a big series against the Chicago Cubs beginning Monday, April 13. That leaves the club managing both the immediate game and the broader strain on a rotation that has not settled in yet.
