What to know about the medical issues facing Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester (07.09.2026)

On this week's midweek Microbrew, host JR Radcliffe chats with Dr. Karie Zach, a sports medicine physician at the Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network, to try and get a better sense of the types of ailments pitchers Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester are facing. What exactly are cysts, and how do they cause problems in a surgically repaired shoulder? What are the treatments and why is the shoulder such a complex component of the body? What is thoracic outlet syndrome, how exactly does it work and why is the surgery to fix it such a grisly sounding procedure? Dr. Zach isn't affiliated with the Brewers but does have insight on how those ailments might impact a regular person or an athlete.

Yes, we know there was an ominous update on the Woodruff front July 7; this conversation was recorded earlier in the day.

JR also discusses a hot start to the week in St. Louis (recorded before Wednesday's loss), with three wins in two days starring Robert Gasser, Jacob Misiorowski, Joey Ortiz and newcomer Luis Lara.