MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester will undergo season-ending surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and is expected to be sidelined for eight to 10 months.
Thoracic outlet syndrome is a disorder that occurs when blood vessels or nerves in the space between the collarbone and first rib are compressed. That can lead to neck and shoulder pain, numbness or tingling in the fingers, and arm weakness.
Priester’s thoracic outlet decompression surgery will be performed on Monday in Dallas by surgeon Dr. Gregory Pearl and will involve the removal of the first upper rib on the right side.
Priester said he hopes to compete for a rotation spot next spring.
“After doing all the things that we had gone through to try and fix this problem without surgery, we’ve just kind of gotten to a point where these things aren’t working, so we’re going to get surgery and make sure we clean this up and so that for the rest of my career this isn’t an issue,” Priester said before the Brewers game against Cleveland on Thursday.
The Brewers called Priester back from his minor league rehabilitation assignment on June 12 to evaluate the next steps in his recovery.
“I feel really confident that (I’m) going to come back even better,” Priester said.
Priester was a key cog in the team’s rotation a season ago when he went 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 29 appearances, including 24 starts, for a team that made it to the National League Championship Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Priester was expected to play a major role again this season in a rotation that so far has been led by hard-throwing Jacob Misiorowski and newcomer Kyle Harrison. Priester has not pitched in the majors this season.
Priester said he wanted “to check every box” before deciding on surgery.
The condition caused considerable control issues during the rehab stints, Priester said.
In five rehab games at Triple-A Nashville, two in Arizona and one at High-A Wisconsin, Priester had a 15.75 ERA and 2.88 WHIP in 16 innings, with 24 walks, 18 strikeouts, four hit batters and six wild pitches.
“When the brain and arm are communicating the right way because of the nerves that are pinching in there, it makes it nearly impossible to actually create a result that’s repeatable,” he said. “It was great that we had gotten the pain to go away with the nerve blocks, but essentially, we couldn’t alleviate all the symptoms.”
Priester said the full recovery time for the surgery is expected to be eight to 10 months, but the 25-year-old is confident he can beat the timeline.
“I’m still a pretty young guy that may be able to make that a little bit quicker, be diligent with the work and be ready to compete for a spot in spring training next year,” Priester said.
Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler underwent a successful thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September 2025 and made an earlier-than-expected return. Wheeler made his debut this season on April 25 and has a 6-1 record with a 2.01 ERA.
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