Brandon Clarke: Everything you need to know

Clarke (arm) is not expected to be game-ready until June after a procedure in January to address an aneurysm in his left arm, Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com reports. The aneurysm was giving Clarke circulation issues, which in turn led to blister problems and numbness in his fingers. Acquired from the Red Sox in November as part of the trade that sent Sonny Gray to Boston, Clarke was limited to just 38 innings in 2025, finishing with a 4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 60:27 K:BB between Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville.

Clarke will be slowed at the start of spring training after recently undergoing surgery to address poor circulation in his fingers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Clarke has dealt with nagging blister issues and numbness in his fingers since entering pro ball, and it was determined they were caused by an aneurysm in his left arm that led to circulation problems. The hope is that the procedure will alleviate Clarke's blister problems and also potentially help him harness his command. The southpaw is currently going through range-of-motion exercises and working on regaining arm strength. Clarke will be eased into a throwing program in spring training and it's unclear when he'll be ready to make his season debut. Acquired from the Red Sox in November as part of the trade that sent Sonny Gray to Boston, Clarke held a 4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 60:27 K:BB in 38 innings over 14 outings between Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville in 2025.