Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester will undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery and miss the rest of the 2026 MLB season, MLB Trade Rumors reported, citing Priester's comments to MLB.com reporter Adam McCalvy.
Priester has spent the full season on the injured list and is already on the 60-day IL. He said he has dealt with thoracic outlet symptoms since spring training, with nerve issues preventing him from consistently repeating his mechanics.
Priester Surgery Ends Brewers Season
The operation is scheduled for Monday after a diagnosis process that Priester described as one of exclusion. The Brewers and Priester tried alternate treatments first, and he reached points where he was pain-free, but the problem continued to affect his delivery.
Priester made eight minor league rehab appearances during the process. MLB Trade Rumors noted that he walked 25% of the batters he faced in those outings and hit another 4.1%, an indicator that the symptoms were still affecting command.
Priester said he expects to be shut down from throwing for three months after surgery and will need eight to ten months before he is game-ready. He is aiming for the start of spring training, though that target depends on how the rehab progresses.
Milwaukee Loses 2025 Rotation Piece
The injury removes a starter who gave Milwaukee 157 1/3 innings last season. Priester posted a 3.32 ERA for the Brewers in 2025, with a 20.2% strikeout rate, a 7.7% walk rate and a 56.1% ground-ball rate.
Milwaukee acquired Priester from Boston in a trade that sent minor leaguers Yophery Rodriguez and John Holobetz, plus a 2025 Competitive Balance draft pick, to the Red Sox. Priester remains under team control for four years after this season.
The Brewers will continue leaning on Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison near the top of a rotation that has dealt with injuries. Priester's update gives the club clarity: there is no second-half return to plan around.