GOODYEAR, Ariz. – A specialist diagnosed the source of Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester's ongoing wrist discomfort as “in that T.O.S. [thoracic outlet syndrome] family,” according to Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy, who for the first time confirmed that Priester would open the regular season on the injured list.
It is a scary-sounding diagnosis, considering that thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when the nerves and blood vessels in the lower part of the neck are compressed, resulting in pain, weakness, fatigue and numbness or tingling in the arm or hand. Phillies ace Zack Wheeler required decompression surgery for T.O.S. last September to remove a blood clot near his right shoulder, along with his first rib. Six months later, he threw his first bullpen session of Spring Training on Thursday, at around the same time Priester was reporting back to Brewers camp following a visit with Dallas-based vascular surgeon Dr. Gregory Pearl.
The Brewers’ current hope is that Priester’s symptoms might not require surgery, Murphy said, and can be addressed with treatment instead. Priester threw lightly off a mound on Thursday afternoon, and a more intense bullpen session is on the schedule for March 21.
That obviously rules out Priester for the rotation to start the season, since Opening Day is five days later on March 26 at American Family Field. But it is reason for “optimism,” Murphy said, if the treatment continues to offer relief.
“Often, thoracic outlet requires surgery. But in this case, we’re not there,” Murphy said. “We’re feeling like there’s a chance that he’s going to come through this.”
Priester first reported discomfort in his right wrist last August and managed it through the end of the regular season and into the offseason. The expectation was that offseason rest would clear up the issue, but he continued to experience on again, off again symptoms this spring as he attempted to ramp-up to game action. The symptoms, according to Murphy, began to radiate up his arm.
“What would happen is he would throw, and [say], ‘Ah, I feel something. It just wasn’t right,’” Murphy said. “Then he’d feel great. Then he’d come out and throw the next time and not be able to build up. … So, it was back to the drawing board. Even the T.O.S. specialist said we did all the right things, because you have to rule out things.”
Pearl is the same specialist who performed surgery for T.O.S. on Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly in September 2020 and former Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg in 2021. Kelly was able to resume a full schedule the following season. Strasburg made only one more appearance in his career.
With Priester down and Brandon Woodruff building up at his own pace coming off a couple of injury-shortened seasons, the Brewers will have to rely on their young pool of starting pitchers in the early going. Jacob Misiorowski is looking more and more like the leading candidate to start Opening Day against the White Sox, and right-hander Chad Patrick will also be in the opening rotation, Murphy has said.
After that, left-hander Kyle Harrison and right-hander Brandon Sproat look likely to begin the season in the rotation. Lefty swingman Aaron Ashby could make starts early as well. Right-hander Logan Henderson (Milwaukee’s No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) is questionable after developing renewed discomfort in his right elbow, but Murphy was encouraged that he was able to throw a bullpen session on Thursday afternoon. Left-hander Robert Gasser is also in the running.
Priester, meanwhile, will be on a catch play schedule leading, the Brewers hope, to a bullpen session the day before the team breaks camp.
In other injury news, Murphy said that an MRI scan of outfielder Akil Baddoo’s left quad strain revealed a more serious injury than initially believed. Murphy declined to put a timetable on Baddoo’s return, but it will be weeks, not days, before he resumes baseball activity.
Baddoo might have been on the outside looking in for the Opening Day roster, but is part of the Brewers’ depth in the outfield and was having a productive camp.
“I still think he’ll help us this year,” Murphy said.