MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester will undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery Monday, ending his 2026 season.
Priester, 25, hasn't pitched in the big leagues this season after thoracic outlet symptoms cropped up during spring training. He did pitch in eight games across three minor league levels in an effort to rehab from the injury but posted a 15.75 ERA while walking 24 batters in just 16 innings.
Thoracic surgeon Dr. Gregory Pearl will perform the procedure Monday in Dallas.
"After going to Dr. Pearl again, and 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," Priester said. "So we're going to go down on Monday and get surgery with Dr. Pearl, make sure we clean this issue up, so that the rest of my career, this isn't an issue."
Priester was a revelation for the Brewers last season, going 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA and logging 157⅓ innings. A former top prospect, Priester finally established himself as a major league fixture with Milwaukee after failing to do so during stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox.
Now Priester will have to wait until 2027 to consolidate those gains in his career, but for now, he said he is just relieved to have some clarity about an injury that has seen a lot of treatment advances in recent years.
"Ten years ago this was a little bit more of a question mark," Priester said. "But now as things progress like anything in the medical field, I feel really, really confident that we're going to come back even better."
Priester discussed his injury with surprisingly precise medical lingo, describing the difficulties the injury causes by pointing out, "part of the neurogenic TOS diagnosis is loss of proprioception above the head." As it turns out, Priester's uncle Paul is a vascular surgeon in Philadelphia who has been able to offer advice and reassurance as the righty charted a path forward.
"I've leaned on him a little bit for educating me on this whole thing," Priester said. "It is really nice. He actually does the surgery."
Priester hopes to be 100% by the time spring training begins in 2027. Part of the procedure involves the removal of a rib, so as he recovers, one thing he will have to decide is what to do with it.
"Yeah, so they give it to you," Priester said. "I get to keep it, so figuring out what to do with it. I've had some ideas, but my mom is, is like, they all sound really creepy. So I'll think on it, keep it in a jar somewhere."