Brewers' Angel Zerpa To Have Season-Ending UCL Surgery

Angel Zerpa won't be pitching again for the Milwaukee Brewers until 2027.

The left-handed reliever will undergo UCL surgery on his left elbow next week. The recovery time will depend on whether Zerpa has the internal brace procedure or full-blown Tommy John surgery. The internal brace provides a shorter recovery time as opposed to Tommy John surgery, which is a 12- to 15-month recovery.

Angel Zerpa is having left UCL reconstruction surgery with Dr. Keith Meister next week. He will be out until spring/summer 2027, the Brewers anticipate.

— Curt Hogg (@cyrthogg.bsky.social) May 5, 2026 at 10:33 AM

Zerpa was a big offseason acquisition, coming over in a trade from the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears. Zerpa showed out in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela, pitching 5⅓ scoreless innings over six appearances, allowing three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

That performance raised expectations going into his first season with the Brewers as another potential late-inning weapon. Zerpa didn't allow a run in his first four appearances covering 4⅔ innings, walking two and striking out three. He then allowed runs in three straight and six of his next eight before hitting the 15-day injured list last week.

Zerpa has a 5.35 FIP (6.39 ERA) in those 12 games with 10.9% walk and 14.5% strikeout rates, both worse than his career numbers (7.2% and 19.4%).