The Milwaukee Brewers will be without right-hander Quinn Priester for the rest of the year after he chose to undergo season-ending surgery related to thoracic outlet syndrome.
Priester will have a rib removal procedure, reports Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He’s expected to miss the next eight to 10 months. Priester has been rehabbing in the minors after experiencing discomfort during the spring. He was ultimately unable to avoid going under the knife.
“We got to a point where these things aren’t working,” Priester told reporters, including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “We’re going to clean this up so that the rest of my career, this isn’t an issue.”
Milwaukee Brewers Lose Quinn Priester for the Rest of 2026, Expected to be Ready for 2027
GettyMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 13: Pitching coach Chris Hook of the Milwaukee Brewers meets with Quinn Priester #46 during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field on October 13, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Priester went down with a nerve issue during Spring Training. He had his rehab paused multiple times as he continued to experience challenges with the injury. Surgery seemed like the likely destination, but Priester initially tried to pitch through the problem while undergoing non-invasive treatments. “You have to go down every avenue,” Priester said.
With Priester’s numbers lagging at Triple-A, Milwaukee decided to bump him back to Rookie ball. He had posted a brutal 17.65 ERA in five appearances with Nashville. The righty had a massive 25.9% walk rate over 8.2 innings. Priester pitched marginally better in the Complex League, putting up a 6.00 ERA. He continued to walk batters at an absurd 23.3% clip. With the results not turning around, Priester finally decided to have surgery to clear up the issue.
“It’s just the best decision for the organization,” Priester said. “I feel really good about this direction and being able to contribute in 2027.”
Who Will Fill Out the Brewers’ Rotation?
GettyMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – APRIL 30: Brandon Woodruff #53 of the Milwaukee Brewers leaves the game in the second inning with an injury against the Arizona Diamondbacks at American Family Field on April 30, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Milwaukee has dealt with significant injury problems in the starting rotation. Veteran righty Brandon Woodruff is working his way back from shoulder inflammation. Logan Henderson is dealing with a low back strain. Coleman Crow recently hit the injured list with a right forearm flexor strain.
The absences in the rotation have opened up opportunities for Brandon Sproat, Shane Drohan, and Robert Gasser. Sproat came over from the New York Mets in the Freddy Peralta trade. He’s scuffled to a 5.94 ERA across 14 starts. Sproat has allowed 13 home runs in 63.2 innings. Drohan was acquired in the deal that sent Caleb Durbin to the Boston Red Sox. The lefty has been tagged for nine earned runs over 15.1 innings this month. Gasser recorded the best start of his young career earlier this week against the Cleveland Guardians. He tossed 5.2 scoreless innings in the 2-1 win.
Brewers Lose Quinn Priester for the Rest of the Season