Brewers’ Robert Gasser Scheduled to Undergo Tommy John Surgery, Ending Strong Rookie Campaign
What began as a promising start to a major league career now marks the beginning of another journey for Milwaukee Brewers rookie left-hander Robert Gasser.
The 25-year-old lefty, Milwaukee’s No. 4 top prospect per MLB Pipeline, has made the difficult decision to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery after receiving a third opinion on the flexor tendon strain to his left elbow. Dr. Keith Meister is scheduled to perform the operation in Dallas on Monday.
Gasser will be sidelined for at least 12 months, although his recovery timeline could stretch even longer depending on the severity of his procedure.
Initially, the 2021 second-round selection – acquired by Milwaukee as part of the return from San Diego in the ‘22 Josh Hader blockbuster – was told he could rehab his injury and attempt to return later this season. But he ultimately decided against that route after meeting with Meister and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, both of whom recommended surgical options.
Rather than risk potentially delaying a surgery he may require anyway down the road, Gasser felt now was the best time to repair his injured elbow.
“When I weighed the options, it’s like, even if I finished the year healthy I would still have that lingering thought in the back of my head of, ‘Am I really OK?’” Gasser told reporters Thursday, including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. “Obviously, I want to pitch, but I want to do that 100 percent healthy, knowing everything is right.”
The Brewers promoted Gasser last month after only three starts at triple-A, paving the way for his remarkable big-league debut versus the St. Louis Cardinals on May 10th, where he tossed six shutout innings and allowed two hits while punching out four.
In five starts, the 6-foot-1 hurler posted a 2-0 record with a 2.57 ERA and 3.36 FIP, recording 16 strikeouts and one walk. He last pitched on June 1st against the Chicago White Sox before landing on the 15-day IL.
Though his rookie campaign is over, Gasser displayed plenty of potential as a future foundational piece within a Brewers starting rotation that’s undergone significant turnover since last season.
“I think the one thing he got out of the year was he understands, ‘I can pitch in the big leagues. I can be successful,’” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “He had as good a five starts as anybody can hope for from [a pitcher’s] first five starts in the big leagues. I think that’s a big win for the organization and a win for him.”
By opting for surgery now, Gasser hopes he’ll be back pitching for Milwaukee prior to next year’s All-Star break, looking to build off what he already accomplished in his first taste of life in the majors.
“If it goes well, hopefully I get a good recovery and we’ll be in the same spot [as a team] next year and I can help,” Gasser said. “I’m definitely not going to let what I did here slip out of my mind. It felt really good and it sucks that it’s getting cut short.”
Without Gasser, the Brewers’ rotation will lean heavily on the trio of ace Freddy Peralta, Bryse Wilson and Colin Rea. They’ll also depend on Carlos Rodriguez and Tobias Myers at the back end, with several starters on the IL – including Wade Miley (also out due to Tommy John), Jakob Junis and prospect DL Hall.
They’re also without All-Star closer Devin Williams, who opened the regular season on the IL with stress fractures in his back.
Even with a lengthy injury report, Milwaukee enters Friday’s matchup versus San Diego with a 6.5-game lead over St. Louis for top spot in the NL Central.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Michael Barera. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.