Cardinals' Brandon Clarke: Big velocity in rehab outing
Rotowire
Clarke (arm) averaged 101.2 mph and topped out at 103.1 mph with his sinker in a rehab start with Single-A Palm Beach on Saturday.
The box score results weren't favorable, as Clarke was charged with two runs on one hit and two walks over 1.1 innings. The stuff was electric, however, with the southpaw showcasing a devastating sweeper in addition to premium velocity. Clarke got a late start to the season following surgery in January to address an aneurysm in his left arm and is expected to eventually be assigned to Double-A Springfield. Durability and control have been issues for the 23-year-old, but he could skyrocket up prospect rankings if he's able to stay healthy and throw enough strikes.
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Cardinals' Brandon Clarke: Kicks off rehab assignment
Rotowire
Clarke (arm) began a rehab assignment at the rookie-level Florida Complex League on July 11, striking out two in 1.2 scoreless innings.
Clarke was finally cleared to pitch in games after undergoing surgery in January to address an aneurysm in his left arm. The left-hander was acquired from the Red Sox over the offseason in the Sonny Gray trade and should eventually be assigned to High-A Peoria.
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Cardinals' Brandon Clarke: Sidelined until June
Rotowire
Clarke (arm) is not expected to be game-ready until June after undergoing a procedure in January to address an aneurysm in his left arm, Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com reports.
The aneurysm was giving Clarke circulation issues, which in turn led to blister problems and numbness in his fingers. Acquired from the Red Sox in November as part of the trade that sent Sonny Gray to Boston, Clarke was limited to just 38 innings in 2025, finishing with a 4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 60:27 K:BB between Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville.
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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.
