Brewers' Latest Quinn Priester Update Doesn't Sound Promising

Quinn Priester emerged out of nowhere to shine in the Milwaukee Brewers' rotation last year. Just when it seemed like he'd become a known commodity, his status was thrust into question.

Priester was dealing with a nagging wrist issue for most of the second half of last year, and early in spring training, the same problem cropped up again. He was able to pitch through it in September and October, but it wouldn't make sense to try to get through a full season.

Priester had been delayed in his progression after a live batting practice session earlier this month, and as things didn't seem to be improving after backing off a bit, the right-hander is now facing a bit more uncertainty.

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Quinn Priester headed to visit specialist

On Thursday, the Brewers announced that Priester would visit specialist Dr. Gregory Pearl in Dallas on Thursday to better gauge the issue with his wrist, according to a report from Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

"While Priester was able to manage it and pitch through the ailment last fall, that isn’t the case at the start of a season, so he will go visit Dr. Pearl, who specializes in vascular care, and seek some answers," Hogg remarked on the situation.

Last season, Priester arrived in an April trade with the Boston Red Sox, where he was stuck in Triple-A, and broke out to the tune of a 13-3 record and 3.32 ERA in 157 1/3 innings. Without him, the Brewers almost certainly would not have finished with the best regular-season record in baseball.

It's even more fortunate for the Brewers, given Priester's status, that the club loaded up on starting pitching in its two blockbuster trades at the end of the offseason. With Freddy Peralta gone to the New York Mets and Priester potentially on the shelf, newcomers Brandon Sproat, Kyle Harrison, and Shane Drohan are all solid options to take over rotation spots at some point.

But the fact that Priester's timeline is only getting murkier as opening day draws near certainly indicates the possibility of a longer absence. The Brewers can weather the storm for a while, but they'll want Priester back in peak form no later than the All-Star break.