After a breakout season last year, much was expected off 25-year old RHP Quinn Priester. However, any expectations need to wait because he will be spending the rest of the season in the 60-day IL. He has confirmed that he would need to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery on Monday, June 22. A surgery he thinks will solve the lingering issue for the rest of his career.

“We’ve just kind of gotten to a point where these things aren’t working,” Priester told Adam McCalvy. “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.”

The procedure aims to relieve pressure on the nerves and blood vessels located between the first rib and collarbone. Dr Gregory Pearl will perform a first rib resection on Priester. It will give Priester relief from the painful condition that hampered his outings on the mound this season.

He added that this was a well-thought-over decision and they only came to this conclusion because they exhausted all possible options before concluding that surgery is the best-case scenario. He mentioned how to tried a Botox injection to avoid surgery. However, injecting his pectoralis minor only alleviated the pain but did not resolve the issue.

“We’d done everything. We wanted to turn over every stone that wasn’t surgery if that makes sense,” said Priester, per McCalvy. “Whether that’s scraping, needling, hot tub, warming up before or after BFR machines. We really did try to go down every avenue here. The nerve blocks are again invasive and non. Ultimately, we just weren’t getting the result.”

Priester was initially diagnosed with symptoms of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) in his right shoulder in March. The Brewers placed him on the IL at the time. The condition pinched the nerves running from his neck, causing Priester to lose command over his pitches. Since the diagnosis of TOS follows a process of exclusion, i.e, ruling out all other possibilities, Priester could not undergo surgery as soon as he experienced those symptoms.

The RHP revealed that the loss of proprioception above his head has interfered with his control issues when extending. The pinched nerves affected the communication between his brain and his throwing arm, hampering him from getting the desired results.

Over 16 innings across Nashville, Arizona, and Wisconsin, Priester struggled to a 15.75 ERA and 2.88 WHIP, walking 24 batters, hitting four, and throwing six wild pitches. After walking five batters in his last minor league start, the Brewers pulled Priester from rehab. He then went to Dallas to visit Dr Pearl, who concluded surgery as the best option.

With Priester looking forward to a months-long recovery period, Zack Wheeler’s return at the top of his form this year gives hope. Wheeler also underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgery last season. His surgery included the removal of the first rib to get rid of a blood clot. He had posted a 2.01 ERA and a 6-1 record across 10 starts this season.

As the right-hander got ruled out for the season, the Brewers will depend more on Jacob Misiorowski for RHP duties. Nevertheless, hopeful of making a full recovery, Priester aims to return to the mound when pitchers and catchers report during Spring Training.

Priester’s recovery timeline

Quinn Priester debuted in the major league with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023. The former top prospect briefly spent time with the Pirates and the Boston Red Sox before being traded to the Brewers. Priester reached his full potential when the Brewers acquired him last season in exchange for Yophery Rodriguez and John Holobetz, alongside a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick.

Scheduled for a season-ending surgery in the wake of his breakout season, Priester revealed the possible timeline, if all goes to plan. He expects to start his plyometric throwing program after eight to ten weeks of surgery. At about twelve weeks, he aims to start playing catch and build up from there.

“After that three-month period out of baseball and essentially what we’ve seen other people, it’s kind of in that eight-to-ten-month range before you’re back at 100% physically. Just recovering and building the arm back up,” observed Priester, per McCalvy.

While such surgeries usually take eight to ten months of recovery, Priester believes his age can help speed up the process.