Brewers lose top pitching prospect to season ending surgery after third opinion

The Milwaukee Brewers just can't seem to get much in the way of good news on their pitching staff. On Thursday, one of the Crew's top pitching prospects, Robert Gasser, decided to undergo season ending elbow surgery.

The recovery timeline is around 12 months, which not only ends his 2024 season, but he won't be able to return in time for the start of the 2025 season either.

Gasser is now the third Brewers starting pitcher who will be out for the rest of the season, joining Brandon Woodruff (shoulder surgery) and Wade Miley (Tommy John surgery).

Robert Gasser's rookie season cut short due to injury

The Brewers had high hopes for Gasser coming into the season. They were expecting him to be a big part of their starting rotation after the offseason loss of Corbin Burnes as well as knowing Woodruff would be unavailable. He was expected to be an early contributor this year and earn a rotation spot.

During the offseason, the Brewers filled the rotation with veteran journeymen, in part because of their crop of near-MLB ready starting pitchers they could count on to fill the gaps as the season went along and develop them as the next core of the rotation. Gasser was the top of that group the Brewers were looking to. That group also included Carlos F. Rodriguez, who is in the rotation now.

Gasser's spring was cut short due to a bout of bone spurs in his elbow, which were just a precursor to Gasser's elbow troubles. He recovered from the bone spurs to make a couple starts in Triple-A Nashville before being called up to make his MLB debut against the Cardinals. He threw six shutout against St. Louis.

In his five starts, Gasser had a 2.57 ERA in 28 IP with 16 strikeouts and just one walk allowed. By all accounts, he was the stabilizing force a depleted Brewers rotation desperately needed. He went on the IL back on June 5th, retroactive to June 2nd with a flexor strain. Since then he's gone to get a second opinion, which found his UCL was weaker than it needed to be. He sought a third opinion after that, and the third opinion confirmed the second opinion.

Gasser had the choice of attempting to rehab without surgery or to go under the knife. Gasser ultimately chose surgery and now he will be on the shelf for the next year.

Internal reinforcements are getting harder and harder to find for Milwaukee as the injuries mount.