SAN DIEGO -- Padres right-hander Jhony Brito underwent surgery on the UCL in his right elbow last month and will miss the remainder of the 2025 season, general manager A.J. Preller announced on Monday.
Brito, who hasn’t pitched since early in Spring Training, underwent UCL internal brace surgery, as well as a flexor tendon repair. The operations were performed by Dr. Keith Meister and will almost certainly keep Brito out into the 2026 season.
Preller said Brito’s potential recovery timeline would be around 12 months, with the internal brace procedure offering a quicker path to a return than typical Tommy John surgery.
Acquired in the December 2023 deal that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees, Brito posted a 4.12 ERA last year in 26 appearances, all coming in relief. His season came to an early end, as he dealt with an elbow strain.
The Padres had expressed some interest in stretching Brito back out toward a starter’s workload. But just before he went down in Spring Training, they said they planned to move forward with him exclusively as a bullpen option.
Brito isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2026 season, so if the Padres tender him a contract, he will make somewhere close to the league minimum next year.
In better news for the Padres’ pitching staff, right-hander Yu Darvish (right elbow inflammation) is slated to begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday with Triple-A El Paso, pitching in Las Vegas.