Brewers reinstate Nick Mears, add Quinn Priester, place Connor Thomas on injured list

Thomas hits IL but Brewers get two additional arms in Mears, Priester

The Milwaukee Brewers made a flurry of moves Tuesday evening ahead of their series opener with the Colorado Rockies. RHP Nick Mears was reinstated from the 15-day injured list, newly acquired RHP Quinn Priester was officially added to the active roster, and LHP Connor Thomas was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow arthritis.

RHP Tobias Myers was also sent to Triple-A Nashville on a rehab assignment as he works his way back from an oblique injury.

Mears, 28, was acquired from the Rockies at last year’s trade deadline and missed the first few weeks of the season after an illness kept him sidelined this spring, ultimately resulting in 11 pounds lost (he’s since regained all but three or four, per Todd Rosiak).. A five-year veteran who has pitched for the Pirates, Rockies, and Brewers, Mears has a career 5.20 ERA and 4.17 FIP with 128 strikeouts in 107 ¹⁄₃ innings. He’ll look to improve on his short stint with Milwaukee last year, when he appeared in 12 ¹⁄₃ innings and struck out 18 but allowed 10 runs (7.30 ERA, 6.25 FIP).

Priester, 24, was acquired yesterday in a trade with the Red Sox. He started the year at Boston’s Triple-A affiliate, but he made 11 appearances (seven starts) between the Red Sox and Pirates in 2024, with a 4.71 ERA, 4.70 FIP, and 33 strikeouts in 49 ²⁄₃ innings. He’s likely the starter in Thursday’s series finale at Coors Field, with Tyler Alexander now listed as the expected starter for Wednesday.

Thomas, 27 in May, is a Rule 5 pick from the Cardinals that must remain on the active roster to stay with the Brewers, barring some sort of trade. He’s struggled in two appearances for Milwaukee, allowing 12 runs in just 5 ¹⁄₃ innings (20.25 ERA, 10.19 FIP). It’s unclear how severe his injury is, but he’ll miss at least two weeks.

In other quick roster updates (per Rosiak):

• Myers is scheduled to start for Nashville tonight and pitch again on Sunday.
• Jose Quintana, who is working his stamina up after a lengthy offseason, had four up-downs with the ACL Brewers yesterday.
• Brandon Woodruff is nearing a rehab assignment, which will likely mean we’ll see him with Milwaukee in early to mid-May, barring any setbacks.

All welcome news given Milwaukee’s injury struggles in the young season.