Brandon Birdsell will undergo elbow surgery, missing the 2025 season
Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Brandon Birdsell will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing elbow surgery. The news was confirmed by Cubs assistant general manager Jared Banner before the start of a three-game series in San Francisco. Birdsell, who was named the minor league pitcher of the year in 2024 by the Cubs, was hoping to make his major league debut in 2025. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas.The 25-year-old right-handed pitcher had returned from the 60-day injured list on July 18 to join Triple-A Iowa, but had to go back on the list on August 8 due to an elbow injury that has affected him all year. This season, Birdsell was 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts at Triple-A. Selected in the fifth round of the 2022 amateur draft, Birdsell was invited without being part of the roster for spring training. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 19. In his 59 minor league appearances, with 58 starts in 276 2/3 innings, Birdsell has a record of 14-19 and an ERA of 3.35.We will have more information after the surgery. After the surgery we can talk about the deadlines.
Jared Banner, Assistant General Manager of the Cubs
