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Brandon Clarke's Spring Training Delayed by Surgery
St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitcher Brandon Clarke (fingers) recently underwent surgery to address poor circulation in his fingers, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. As a result, he won't have a normal workload when spring training begins next month. According to Goold, Clarke dealt with blisters and finger numbness throughout the 2025 season -- his first year in affiliated ball -- due to an aneurysm in his left arm. The operation should alleviate those issues going forward, but it'll set him back a little bit to open spring camp. The 22-year-old pitching prospect was shipped from Boston to St. Louis in this offseason's Sonny Gray trade. The 2024 fifth-round pick spent most of last season at High-A, posting a 3.87 xFIP, 14.2 K/9, and 6.4 BB/9. He excelled in minimizing loud contact, as he allowed zero homers through 38 innings and maintained an impressive 63.9% ground ball rate. FanGraphs assigned a 50 grade to his future value, and they list him as having a 60-grade fastball and 70-grade slider.
Source: Derrick Goold
Source: Derrick Goold
