A few weeks ago we learned that Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Brandon Birdsell would not pitch again in 2025, and now things have gotten worse. On Tuesday, Cubs assistant general manager Jared Banner announced that Birdsell will undergo surgery on his right elbow, which will not only cost him the rest of 2025, but will certainly take out a chunk of his 2026 season as well.
Via the Associated Press.
Banner said Birdsell would have the procedure done by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, but didn’t provide details of the extent of the surgery or offer a timeline for Birdsell’s return.
“We’ll have more information after the surgery,” Banner said. “After the surgery we can talk about timelines.”
Birdsell, 25, was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech. The right-handed starter was named 2024 Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year and entered this year's spring training as a depth option for the major-league roster.
Unfortunately, this season has been a rough one for Birdsell. He missed the first half of 2025 with an arm injury and pitched in eight games before he was once again sidelined in early August. Now, with elbow surgery in his future the Cubs will have to make a tough decision with the pitcher in the offseason.
Birdsell is Rule-5 eligible following the 2025 season. If the Cubs don't add him to their 40-man roster, then Birdsell could be scooped up by any team in the Rule 5 Draft. We'll probably get a hint on what direction the Cubs go with Birdsell once details of the surgery surface. If it means that Birdsell is likely to miss most of the 2026 season, then there's a good chance the Cubs risk it and make him available for the Rule 5 Draft.
(Previous Update)
Well, this sucks. Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Brandon Birdsell was once again looking like he could have helped out the team in 2025, but now the right-hander will miss the remainder of the year. Birdsell has missed most of the season with an arm injury that forced the Cubs to shut him down in spring training and now after being back on the mound for a month Birdsell is on the shelf with a new issue.
Birdsell, 25, returned to the mound in June and was officially activated from the 60-day injured list on July 18. The right-handed starter pitched in four games for the Iowa Cubs in the past three weeks and it seemed like he was trending toward being a realistic depth option in September if Craig Counsell needed another arm. Birdsell had his best outing of the year on July 31, tossing six shutout innings, with six strikeouts.
The righty had a no-hitter through five and ended the start by giving up two hits and a walk.
The top-10 prospect for the Cubs last pitched on Thursday, when Birdsell went 4.2 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits, including a pair of home runs. The following day Birdsell was placed on the injured list and on the crushing update on Sunday put an end to the pitcher's season.
According to Tommy Birch, Birdsell is done for the year.
The 2022 fifth round pick was named the Cubs minor league pitcher of the year in 2024. Birdsell recorded a 3.91 ERA in 135.2 innings between his time at Double-A and Triple-A.
