Brewers halt Quinn Priester’s rehab assignment amid nerve recovery concerns

The Milwaukee Brewers have terminated right-hander Quinn Priester’s minor-league rehabilitation assignment, returning him to the 60-day injured list following a challenging outing in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. The decision, confirmed on Thursday, June 11, comes after Priester allowed three earned runs on a single hit and five walks while also hitting a batter over 2 2/3 innings.

Manager Pat Murphy indicated that while the pitcher performed without physical complaint, the performance suggested lingering issues with nerve sensation rather than acute injury. Murphy noted that the movement on the ball and the pitcher’s ability to feel the ball come off his hand remain inconsistent, which he attributed to the recovery process from thoracic outlet syndrome.

The team has cancelled Priester’s next scheduled start, originally set for June 13, to facilitate discussions with medical staff in Milwaukee. Murphy stated that the organization is not yet close to considering surgery, emphasizing the need to allow time for the nerves to calm down and for sensory function to return.

Priester’s rehabilitation journey has been marked by statistical struggles, with a 15.75 earned run average and 24 walks across 16 total innings in five rehab games at Class AAA Nashville, Class High-A Wisconsin, and the Arizona Complex League. Despite these metrics, Murphy maintained that the pitcher feels good and is trending in the right direction regarding his physical comfort.

The Brewers are managing rotation depth in the absence of Priester and Brandon Woodruff, who has been sidelined since April 30 with dead arm. While internal options such as Shane Drohan, Brandon Sproat, and Robert Gasser have provided stability, Woodruff recently completed a 68-pitch start in the ACL, topping out at 93 mph, with Murphy suggesting a return to the rotation is imminent.