Cardinals' Brandon Clarke: Surgery for circulation issues
Rotowire
Clarke will be slowed at the start of spring training after recently undergoing surgery to address poor circulation in his fingers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Clarke has dealt with nagging blister issues and numbness in his fingers since entering pro ball, and it was determined they were caused by an aneurysm in his left arm that led to circulation problems. The hope is that the procedure will alleviate his issues and also potentially help him harness his command. The southpaw is currently going through range-of-motion exercises and working on regaining arm strength. Clarke will be eased into a throwing program in spring training and it's unclear when he'll be ready to make his season debut. Acquired from the Red Sox in November as part of the trade that sent Sonny Gray to Boston, Clarke held a 4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 60:27 K:BB in 38 innings over 14 outings between Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville in 2025.
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Cardinals' Brandon Clarke: Traded to Cardinals
Rotowire
The Cardinals acquired Clarke and Richard Fitts from the Red Sox on Tuesday in exchange for Sonny Gray and cash considerations, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Clarke has an electric arm with a big fastball and wipeout slider that helped him strike out 60 over 38 innings between Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville this season. However, he also walked 27 batters and missed a chunk of time with blister issues. The 22-year-old is a high-upside, high-risk addition to the St. Louis farm system.
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Red Sox's Brandon Clarke: Likely done for season with blister
Rotowire
Clarke is expected to miss the remainder of the season after High-A Greenville placed him on its 7-day injured list Aug. 15 due to a recurrence of blisters on his pitching hand, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
Clarke previously missed about a month of action from late May through late June due to a blister caused by a hangnail, and the issue appears to have cropped up again during his most recent outing with Greenville on Aug. 8. Though his season will end on a disappointing note, the 22-year-old lefty still enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2025 while accruing a 4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 60:27 K:BB in 38 innings over 14 outings between Greenville and Single-A Salem.
