Lefty Brewers swiped from Cardinals suffers season-ending surgery blow

After the Milwaukee Brewers elected to non-tender former low-leverage, long-reliever Bryce Wilson this past offseason, the team was in need of a new arm to replace him in the necessary role. It's not a flashy job, covering multiple innings in blowouts, but it's an important one nonetheless, as it often leads to a day off for the high-leverage relievers.

With Wilson projected to earn about $1.5 million in his second year of arbitration eligibility, Matt Arnold and the Brewers front office got creative to find a cheaper replacement. That creativity led them to the Rule 5 Draft, where they selected southpaw Connor Thomas from the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Though the move was scrutinized at the time (and continues to be) because the Brewers essentially chose Thomas over Shane Smith, who was taken from Milwaukee by the Chicago White Sox with the first overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft, there was still a lot to like about Thomas' profile, and he seemed like an intriguing replacement for Wilson.

Thomas is the epitome of consistency, dating back to his college days at Georgia Tech. That consistency comes from plus command and a sinking fastball that generates a lot of groundballs. The combination led to a 2.89 ERA in 90.1 innings as a multi-inning reliever for the Memphis Redbirds, the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate, in 2024. With his arsenal, Thomas is never going to be a big strikeout pitcher, but it looked like he could be a viable long-reliever and perhaps a back-end starter at some point in his career. However, this season it has been tough blow after tough blow for the 27-year-old, and his latest development is the worst of them all.

Connor Thomas to undergo season-ending elbow surgery, potentially Tommy John

On Tuesday, amid a slew of injury updates on the social media platform X from MLB.com's Brewers beat reporter Adam McCalvy, it was revealed that Thomas was set to undergo season-ending elbow surgery that could potentially turn into Tommy John depending on how the initial procedure goes.

Thomas, tied down to the roster restrictions of Rule 5 Draft picks, began the season on the Brewers’ Opening Day roster. He made two appearances for the Crew, allowing eight earned runs in two innings against the New York Yankees and four earned runs in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds, before going on the injured list with left elbow arthritis. Thomas tried to return in early May, beginning a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League, before his injury worsened, leading to him needing season-ending surgery.

As a Rule 5 draftee, when Thomas does return, which likely won't be until late next season at the earliest, he will still be subject to the roster limitations that all Rule 5 Draft picks are. For more on those restrictions, read this article on the Brewers’ strategy in the Rule 5 Draft this past offseason.

Though it's been a rough time with the Brewers so far for Thomas, his story is far from finished, and he should eventually get another shot to prove himself with Milwaukee once his rehab process is complete.