winemaker lefty Connor Thomas The team announced it had cleared waivers and declined an outright assignment in favor of free agency.
Thomas, 27, was a Rule 5 pick out of the Cardinals last year. He had a strong spring, leaving the Milwaukee Bucks to make his major league debut and pitching 5 1/3 innings in two appearances before going on the disabled list with an elbow injury. Thomas scored a staggering 12 runs in his brief MLB outing, although an elbow injury may have contributed to those troubles. He was sidelined for nearly three months before undergoing surgery to remove a loose body in his elbow.
When the Brewers announced the surgery, they noted that a UCL repair was also possible. No official announcement followed, but Adam McCalvy of MLB.com is now reporting that Thomas did undergo Tommy John surgery. This would keep him out until the end of the 2026 season, or even into the 2027 season.
Although Thomas has a difficult 2025 season, he is a former fifth-round pick who found some success in the minor leagues as a senior. That includes a 2.89 ERA for the 2024 Cardinals in a 90 1/3 AAA frame. His strikeout rate was below average at 20.6%, but his walk rate was as high as 6.3% and his ground ball rate was as high as 55.3%.
Thomas’ injury and lack of major league record will limit his ability to sign with the minor leagues in free agency, but he’s expected to be a depth option somewhere — maybe even back with the Brewers. Milwaukee’s decision to cut him outright doesn’t necessarily indicate that they are no longer interested in the left-hander, but they will have to dedicate a 40-man roster to him over the winter without a 60-day IL in the offseason.
