Brewers Lose Pitcher for 2026 Season Due to Tommy John Surgery

The Milwaukee Brewers are unfortunately going to be without the services of left-handed pitcher Brian Fitzpatrick for the rest of the 2026 Major League Baseball season. Plus, at least a chunk of the 2027 MLB campaign as well.

The 26-year-old hasn't pitched in a game for the organization since June 5 and has been on the Injured List since. On Saturday, Brewers manager Pat Murphy shared that Fitzpatrick underwent Tommy John surgery earlier in the week, as shared on X by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"Brewers updates: Logan Henderson’s next start will be for the Brewers. Likely in STL," Hogg wrote. "Joel Kuhnel’s impingement is considered minor. 'He’ll be okay,' Pat Murphy said. Brian Fitzpatrick underwent Tommy John surgery this week, per Murph."

It's Going To Be A While Before We See Brian Fitzpatrick

Apr 30, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brian Fitzpatrick (35) throws a pitch in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That's unfortunate for the lefty. Fitzpatrick was a 10th-round pick by the Brewers back in 2022 and worked his way up to the big leagues this season for the first time. Between the 2022 and 2024 seasons, Fitzpatrick hadn't made it past High-A down in the minors. He made a significant jump in 2025, though. He pitched in High-A, Double-A and Triple-A and had a 3.59 ERA in 38 total bullpen appearances.

In 2026, he took another step forward before getting hurt. He had a 1.13 ERA in 15 Triple-A appearances and followed up with a 1.35 ERA in five outings in the big leagues after earning his promotion to the show.

Now, Milwaukee will have to wait a while to see him back on the mound. When Fitzpatrick landed on the Injured List, it was known that it was going to be some time before Milwaukee fans saw him back on the mound. He was moved to the 60-Day Injured List on June 9 after Luis Lara inked a seven-year extension with the club and was moved to the 40-man roster.

The typical timetable for return from Tommy John surgery for pitchers around Major League Baseball is between 12 and 18 months. That means, for Fitzpatrick, the earliest that we could seemingly end up seeing him back on the hill would be late June 2027 or early July 2027. If he were to take closer to the 18-month timetable, that would be late December 2027 or early January 2028, meaning he would miss the entire 2027 season.

At this moment, the Brewers have not provided a timetable for Fitzpatrick's return. Regardless, it's going to be a while.

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