Another arm bites the dust in the Brewers' bullpen. Just one day after welcoming back two of their top hitters, Milwaukee has been dealt a tough blow on the mound: left-hander Angel Zerpa will undergo Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the rest of the 2026 season and likely into early 2027.

The 26-year-old Zerpa was acquired from the Royals last December in a trade that sent righty Nick Mears and switch-hitting outfielder Isaac Collins to Kansas City. At first glance, the move raised eyebrows—Mears had been a reliable reliever, and Collins provided valuable outfield depth. But the Brewers saw potential in Zerpa, who entered the season with a career 3.97 ERA and 4.13 FIP.

Zerpa quickly turned heads during this spring's World Baseball Classic, starring for Team Venezuela. Over 5 1/3 innings across six appearances, he allowed no runs on just three hits and one walk, striking out eight. That momentum carried into the regular season, where he was lights out over his first four outings, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He even notched his first career save in his fifth appearance.

But from there, things unraveled. Over his final eight appearances—including that save—Zerpa surrendered 11 runs (nine earned) in just eight innings, ballooning his ERA to 6.39 and his FIP to 5.35. He landed on the injured list on April 29 with left forearm tightness, and over the weekend, reports surfaced that he was weighing the decision to undergo Tommy John surgery. Now, the choice has been made.

Zerpa is in his first arbitration season, earning $1.095 million this year, and will remain arbitration-eligible through 2027 and 2028. His absence leaves a significant gap in Milwaukee's left-handed relief corps, which was once a key area of depth. Along with Zerpa, the Brewers are currently without Jared Koenig and Rob Zastryzny for the foreseeable future—both are out until at least late May. Still, the team has four lefties—Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, Shane Drohan, and Brian Fitzpatrick—filling half of their bullpen, giving them some options to weather the storm.