Thomas had surgery Wednesday to remove bone spurs and repair his UCL with an internal-brace procedure, Jack Stern of BrewerFanatic.com reports.
Thomas is likely looking at a return timeline of the first half of the 2026 season in a best-case scenario. The Rule 5 draft pick made just two appearances -- the first of his MLB career -- before being shut down, allowing 12 earned runs on 12 hits over 5.1 innings.
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Brewers' Connor Thomas: Suffers setback during rehab
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Thomas has been shut down from throwing and is "back to square one" in his recovery from an elbow injury, David Gasper of Athlon Sports reports.
Thomas has been on the IL since early April due to a left elbow injury. Per Gasper, the lefty reliever had loose bodies appear in the affected elbow in late May, and he's now being re-evaluated. It appears Thomas could remain out of action for a significant amount of additional time.
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Brewers' Connor Thomas: Kicks off rehab assignment
Rotowire
Thomas (elbow) began a rehab assignment Monday in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, giving up two earned runs on three hits and one walk over one inning.
The southpaw has been on the shelf since April 8 with left elbow arthritis and could need close to the full 30-day rehab window to shake off the rust before the Brewers bring him back from the 60-day injured list. Once he's activated, the Rule 5 selection will likely fill a low-leverage role in the Milwaukee bullpen.
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Brewers' Connor Thomas: Gets injection for elbow
Rotowire
Thomas received an anti-inflammatory injection April 16 in an effort to calm irritation in his left elbow, MLB.com reports.
The Brewers placed Thomas on the 15-day injured list April 8 with what the team termed as left elbow arthritis. Thomas has yet to resume throwing while he waits for the injection to take full effect, and the southpaw could be in store for a slow ramp-up process before being activated from the 15-day injured list. Milwaukee thought enough of Thomas to select him in the Rule 5 Draft this past winter, but the 26-year-old is viewed as more of a developmental project rather than an impact contributor out of the big-league bullpen. He turned in a 20.25 ERA and 2.63 WHIP in 5.1 innings for Milwaukee before landing on the IL.
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Brewers' Connor Thomas: Claims spot in Milwaukee
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Thomas will be part of the Brewers' Opening Day bullpen, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
The Brewers snagged Thomas from St. Louis in the Rule 5 draft, and the 26-year-old lefty has certainly made the most of the opportunity, giving up just two runs (one earned) in 9.1 innings this spring, striking out nine batters and walking five. He'll likely take on a middle-relief role to begin his tenure with the Brewers and will need to remain in Milwaukee all season; otherwise, he'll need to be offered back to the Cardinals.
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Brewers' Connor Thomas: Poached in Rule 5 draft
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The Brewers selected Thomas with the 13th pick in the Rule 5 draft Wednesday, JJ Cooper of Baseball America reports.
Thomas, a 26-year-old lefty the Brewers are poaching from the Cardinals, had operated primarily as a starter until last season, in which 53 of his 56 appearances at Triple-A were out of the bullpen. He logged a 2.89 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 79:24 K:BB in 90.1 innings, so while he worked as a reliever, he is stretched out enough to move back to the rotation this year if the Brewers wanted to go that route at some point. More likely, Thomas will work as a low-leverage multi-inning reliever for Milwaukee or be returned to St. Louis at some point this season.
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Cardinals' Connor Thomas: Sent outright to Triple-A
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The Cardinals outrighted Thomas to Triple-A Memphis on Thursday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Thomas was designated for assignment by St. Louis on Tuesday and passed through waivers unclaimed. He'll remain part of the organization -- but without a 40-man roster spot -- heading into the 2024 campaign.
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Cardinals' Connor Thomas: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Thomas was designated for assignment by the Cardinals on Tuesday.
Thomas, 25, struggled to a 5.53 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 69:31 K:BB over 94.1 innings (17 starts, four relief appearances) this past season with Triple-A Memphis. He is no longer part of the 40-man roster in St. Louis.
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Cardinals' Connor Thomas: Assigned to minor-league camp
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Thomas was reassigned to minor-league camp Monday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Thomas was sharp this spring, pitching four scoreless innings while surrendering just one hit while striking out two, but he will begin the 2022 season with Triple-A Memphis. The 23-year-old will likely be on the Cardinal's radar for a potential call-up at any point this season. He spent most of 2021 with Memphis, making 14 starts and appearing in 22 total contests while compiling a 3.10 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and striking out 92 batters over 101.2 innings.
