Why did Phillies demote rookie Andrew Painter?

The Philadelphia Phillies dropped their series finale to the Miami Marlins this afternoon. The Phillies still won the series against the Fish, and will face the New York Mets this weekend in another NL East showdown. 

On Wednesday, according to multiple reports, the Phillies optioned starter Andrew Painter to Triple-A. Painter made his MLB debut this season with the Phillies, and as a top prospect, this season was supposed to be a good litmus test of his ability in MLB. Well, as it turns out, Philadelphia will need to allow its young starter more time in the minors to truly find his stuff again. 

Phillies' Andrew Painter Optioned

The Phillies will need to make a corresponding move tomorrow, but for now, Andrew Painter will be headed to Lehigh Valley. 

Painter has pitched 65 innings this season with the Phillies and has posted an ERA of 7.06 with 53 strikeouts. His pitching record is 1-8 this season, and he's given up 14 home runs, while also walking 24 batters. The truth is, the Phillies probably gave Andrew Painter too much runway in the first place, and he should have been sent down a few starts ago. 

However, the news is here and now, and the Phillies will have to fill a void in their starting rotation, which currently consists of names like Aaron Nola, Christopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo. 

Stay on the lookout for the corresponding roster move made by the Phillies tomorrow. As for Painter and his MLB future, it will be interesting to see how this development shakes out, because in an MLB playoff push, Philadelphia can't afford any more clunker starts, especially if it were to be via Painter.