Brewer lefty Angel Zerpa to undergo Tommy John surgery

Q: Why is Angel Zerpa undergoing Tommy John surgery?

Angel Zerpa is undergoing Tommy John surgery due to left forearm tightness and subsequent performance decline.

Q: How long will Angel Zerpa be out after his surgery?

Zerpa is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the 2026 season and likely the start of the 2027 season.

Q: What impact does Zerpa's injury have on the Brewers' pitching staff?

Zerpa's injury adds to the Brewers' pitching woes, as they are already missing three key left-handed pitchers.

Apr 17, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Angel Zerpa (61) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Just a day after getting two of their best hitters back, the Brewers received some unfortunate news on the pitching front: left-hander Angel Zerpa will undergo Tommy John surgery, shelving him for the rest of the 2026 season and likely the start of 2027, too. Zerpa, 26, was acquired from the Royals back in December, as Milwaukee sent righty Nick Mears and switch-hitting outfielder Isaac Collins to Kansas City. Entering the season with a career 3.97 ERA and 4.13 FIP, it seemed like an odd move as the Brewers lost arguably a better reliever in Mears along with a valuable outfield depth piece. Zerpa then starred for Team Venezuela in this spring’s World Baseball Classic, making six appearances spanning 5 1/3 innings, allowing no runs on three hits and a walk (one intentional), striking out eight. He got out to a solid start with Milwaukee this season, allowing no runs over his first four appearances, spanning 4 2/3 innings, with three strikeouts. He then picked up his first career save in his fifth appearance, but things quickly went downhill from there. Over his final eight appearances (including the save), he allowed 11 runs (nine earned) over just eight innings, raising his ERA to 6.39 and FIP to 5.35. Zerpa hit the IL on April 29 with left forearm tightness, and it was reported over the weekend that he was weighing whether or not to undergo TJS, though the road back seemed lengthy either way. Now, Zerpa will indeed get the surgery, keeping him out through early 2027. In his first arbitration season, Zerpa is making $1.095 million this season; he’ll be eligible for arbitration again in 2027 and 2028. After entering the season with left-handed pitching as a key area of depth, the Brewers are already without three key arms in Zerpa, , and for the foreseeable future (Zastryzny and Koenig are both out until at least late May). Still, the Brewers have four lefties — , , , and Brian Fitzpatrick — filling half of their bullpen. Here’s to wishing him a speedy recovery.