Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Former Brewers’ Rule-5 pick signs with Braves

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Tyler Koerth_ | Last updated Nov 16, 2025 9:06 PM ET

Last winter, the Milwaukee Brewers selected southpaw Connor Thomas in the Rule-5 Draft. He formerly had been in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, but Matt Arnold and company elected to take a chance on him after posting a 2.89 ERA over 90.1 innings in Triple-A in 2024.

Unfortunately, Thomas got shelled early in the 2025 season, was placed on the injured list with an elbow issue, and ultimately underwent surgery in July. Surgery was performed to remove bone spurs in his elbow, while also addressing a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

Following completion of the 2025 season, Thomas was removed from the Brewers 40-man roster and became a free agent. He now has signed with the Atlanta Braves on a minor league deal.

Former Milwaukee Brewers’ Rule-5 pick Connor Thomas has signed with the Atlanta Braves

Brewers Rule-5 pick shutdown after setback 2 Feb 21, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Connor Thomas (77) poses during photo day. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

According to Thomas’s MLB transaction page, he signed a minor league deal with the Braves back on November 6. This deal was not announced until over a week afterwards, but it appears that Atlanta has enough interest in Thomas to sign him knowing that he will still be rehabbing back from elbow surgery for much of, if not the entire, first half of the season.

Thomas isn’t a high-velocity pitcher, with most of his offerings sitting below 90 mph last season. Because of that, restoring pure velocity won’t be the main priority in his comeback. Instead, his focus will be on regaining the shape and feel of his pitches.

Returning to form and making an impact in 2026 won’t be an easy task, but if he can find positive results early in his comeback, even though that will be challenging, it’s not unreasonable to think a big-league return could be on the horizon, whether in 2026 or perhaps in 2027

Follow me on X @tylerkoerth. Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great up to date sports content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!. We cover the Milwaukee Brewers, Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers, LOVB-Madison, and Wisconsin High School Sports. Additionally we provide the latest news coverage on the NF, and NBA in which you can follow Gridiron Heroics and Hardwood Heroics.

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: