SAN DIEGO -- Pete Fairbanks was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, the Marlins announced on Friday.
Fairbanks will undergo surgery on a to-be-determined date by Dr. Gregory J. Pearl. The typical recovery period for a pitcher is about nine or 10 months.
The thoracic outlet is the area between the neck and shoulder, and thoracic outlet syndrome is a group of conditions caused by the compression of nerves or blood vessels. The compression can cause shoulder and neck pain and also lead to numbness in the fingers, a weak grip, cold hands and swelling.
Major Leaguers who have undergone thoracic outlet surgery include Zack Wheeler, Merrill Kelly, Stephen Strasburg, Alex Cobb, Josh Beckett and Matt Harvey.
“I feel bad for Pete for the way he just finished up this year, and him trying to come back, and obviously something wasn't right,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “I guess the good thing is now [he] found hopefully a way for him to kind of put this behind him, get back healthy. Pulling for him as he's going through this.”
Fairbanks exited outings three times this season with right median nerve irritation, most recently on Monday in Arizona. The nerve-related issue is one he hadn’t dealt with since his 2024 season with the Rays.
Following Monday’s game, Fairbanks described the injury as a sharp sensation in his right brachial plexus, an area in the neck that supplies nerve fibers to the chest, shoulder, arm, forearm and hand.
“To lose sensation and proprioception of your arm is never a fun thing,” Fairbanks had said. “There’s no precise way to figure out when it happens. I just start losing proprioception and the sleeping feeling comes back.”
This likely ends Fairbanks’ chapter with the Marlins. Signed to a franchise-record one-year, $13 million contract for a reliever, Fairbanks posted a 6.31 ERA -- the highest of his career in a full season -- in 46 outings across 41 1/3 innings. He recorded 19 saves (his lowest total since 2022) in 23 chances.