Braylen Wimmer’s Amazing Recovery from Brain Surgery Continues at Rockies Camp

Colorado Rockies prospect Braylen Wimmer is back on the field with the team during spring training.

Colorado Rockies prospect Braylen Wimmer. / Cyndi Chambers / USA TODAY NETWORK

The incredible recovery of Colorado Rockies prospect Braylen Wimmer continues as he is now participating in minor league camp at the team’s facility in Scottsdale, Ariz.

MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reported Wimmer’s presence at camp. He is not only at spring training, but he is participating in all baseball activities and is expected to report to an affiliate once camp breaks, which will be five months after he had surgery to remove a brain tumor.

“I’m going to treat this like a normal year, go through everything that I would usually do. I don’t plan on staying here [in extended Spring Training],” he said. “Soon as we’re good to go, I’m good to go.”

Braylen Wimmer’s Recovery

A Colorado Rockies hat and glove. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Wimmer was relatively unknown prospect in the Rockies system until late in the Arizona Fall League when he had a seizure on his way to the ballpark for a game. That incident led to doctors discovering a brain tumor, which was an astrocytoma. To remove it, doctors had to perform what is called an awake craniotomy, which is exactly what it means. Wimmer had to be awake for the surgery so a pathologist could ask him questions to ensure he didn’t suffer brain damage.

Post-surgery he recovered with his family in Oklahoma and started participating in baseball activities with his dad, who owns a baseball facility in their hometown.

Wimmer is not in Major League camp. He told Harding that one thing he must work on is continuing to build his weight back up. He was 205 pounds pre-surgery and his weight dropped to 175 pounds post-surgery. He’s at 187 at camp.

Wimmer’s development began to pick up steam last season before the diagnosis and surgery. The shortstop is coming off a 2025 in which he slashed .296/.366/.466 with 17 home runs and 69 RBI for High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford. His invitation to the AFL was a reward but also a carrot to push Wimmer’s development.

Wimmer was the Rockies’ eighth-round pick out of South Carolina in the 2023 MLB draft. He flashed immense talent at the Rockies’ Arizona Complex League team later that year, as he slashed .383/.453/.596 with one home runs and five RBI in 14 games.

In 2024, the Rockies promoted him to Class A Fresno where he played the whole season and slashed .285/.362/.435 in 118 games with 14 home runs and 64 RBI. He carried that momentum into the 2025 season and the AFL.

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