Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester will have thoracic outlet decompression surgery Monday in Dallas, officially ending his 2026 season. The 25-year-old hasn't appeared in a major league game this year after experiencing thoracic outlet symptoms during spring training. Dr. Gregory Pearl will perform the procedure, which involves removing a rib.

Priester attempted to rehab through the minors, pitching eight games across three levels, but struggled mightily with a 15.75 ERA and 24 walks in just 16 innings. The poor results confirmed surgery was necessary. He explained that non-surgical treatments weren't working and expressed relief at having a clear path forward.

Last season, Priester emerged as a reliable starter for Milwaukee, posting a 13-3 record with a 3.32 ERA over 157⅓ innings. After failing to stick with Pittsburgh and Boston, he finally established himself with the Brewers. Now he'll miss the entire season while recovering from a procedure that has seen significant medical advances in recent years.

Priester's uncle Paul, a Philadelphia vascular surgeon who performs this surgery, has provided medical guidance throughout the process. While confident in the procedure's success, Priester faces a unique dilemma about what to do with the removed rib - his mother thinks his preservation ideas sound creepy.

Priester aims to return to full strength by 2027 spring training, but the Brewers lose a promising arm who seemed poised for a breakout season.