Brewers' offseason trade acquisition officially undergoing season-ending surgery

The Milwaukee Brewers can't buy a break in 2026. Just as their injured stars, Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn, return to the lineup after missing essentially the entire first five weeks of the season (Vaughn played one game before landing on the IL), the Brewers learn that one of their high-leverage relief arms needs Tommy John surgery and will miss the rest of the season.

Left-hander Ángel Zerpa, whom the Brewers acquired in an offseason trade that sent Isaac Collins and Nick Mears to the Kansas City Royals, landed on the IL last week with left forearm tightness. The injury, a scary one for pitchers as it often indicates damage in the elbow, immediately took on a somber tone, as Brewers manager Pat Murphy called it "highly concerning." Over the weekend, reports surfaced that Zerpa was in fact dealing with an injury to his Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) and was considering whether or not to undergo surgery.

Just moments ago, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com confirmed that Zerpa has elected to undergo Tommy John surgery, which means he will miss the rest of the 2026 campaign.

It's obviously a devastating blow for the Brewers, not only because they lose a key bullpen weapon for the rest of the season, but also because they made a point of acquiring Zerpa this offseason, and now his future in Milwaukee looks very uncertain. Zerpa is in his first year of arbitration, and with him likely to miss a good chunk of the 2027 as well, the Brewers' decision of whether or not to tender him a contract next fall will be an interesting storyline to follow.

In the meantime, the Brewers need to find a way to replace Zerpa in their 2026 'pen. Despite some inconsistency, Zerpa already had two holds and two saves through his first 12 appearances with the Brewers, indicating that Murphy called upon him in key situations. With southpaws Jared Koenig and Rob Zastryzny also currently sidelined with injuries, the Brewers will need a left-hander to step up and become a late-inning option.

Brewers' previous abundance of left-handed relievers looks much thinner just one month into the season

During the offseason, the discussion was whether or not the Brewers had too many left-handers in their bullpen. In addition to Zerpa and Koenig, the Brewers rostered DL Hall and Aaron Ashby on their Opening Day roster, while Rob Zastryzny, whose lack of minor league options would have landed him on the big-league roster, was out with an injury. If Zastryzny had been healthy, the Brewers likely would have carried five left-handers in their group of eight relievers on Opening Day.

However, fast forward just over one month, and the Brewers' left-handed relief corps looks far less crowded. Zastryzny remains on the IL after suffering a setback -- a strained intercostal muscle -- during his rehab process, Koenig is down with a UCL sprain and likely won't be back for several weeks, and now Zerpa is out for the season.

The opportunities are there for new names to step up and prove themselves in the Brewers' bullpen. Ashby will certainly continue his impressive workload that sees him used in various different roles, and Hall will look to build off of his excellent start to the season -- 1.69 ERA in 16 IP -- but names like Brian Fitzpatrick and Shane Drohan will be called upon to step up as well.

Bullpens are always an ever-changing entity, and no one can predict injuries, but just one month into the 2026 campaign, the Brewers are being tested in a way no one expected. The pressure is on for new contributors to make the most of their opportunities.

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