Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Won't be activated this week
Rotowire
Woodruff (shoulder) won't be reinstated from the 15-day injured list this week as initially hoped after experiencing right ankle tendinitis during his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Nashville, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
After he hadn't pitched in the big leagues since September 2023 while recovering from right shoulder surgery, Woodruff looked on track to rejoin the Milwaukee rotation this week after completing his sixth minor-league rehab start over the weekend. However, with Woodruff now battling tendinitis in his ankle, he'll receive treatment over the next week and will then need to make another rehab start before Milwaukee determines whether he's fit to return from the IL or needs more time in the minors.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Now dealing with ankle injury
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The Brewers returned Woodruff (shoulder) from his rehab assignment Monday, but he remains on the 15-day injured list due to right ankle tendinitis, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
The ankle injury popped up prior to what was expected to be Woodruff's final rehab start with Triple-A Nashville on Sunday. He went only 2.1 innings in that outing, although the team indicated that the abbreviated start was by design. Woodruff had been expected to be activated from the 15-day IL to rejoin the Milwaukee rotation this weekend against the Twins, but the ankle issue could put those plans on hold. Woodruff is coming back from capsule surgery on his right shoulder and has not pitched in an MLB game since September 2023.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Excels in short rehab outing
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Woodruff (shoulder) gave up one earned run on two hits and no walks while striking out three batters over 2.1 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Nashville.
After covering at least five innings in each of his previous three rehab outings, Woodruff covered about half of that length Sunday, though the lighter workload was a pre-planned arrangement in what will be his final start of his minor-league assignment, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Woodruff was efficient in the abbreviated outing, spotting 28 of 39 pitches for strikes and giving up a pair of softly hit singles. Woodruff had built up to 83 pitches in his previous start with Nashville on Tuesday, so he should be able to handle something close to a typical starter's workload once he joins the Brewers. Milwaukee is expected to activate Woodruff from the 15-day injured list next weekend to have him start against the Twins at American Family Field in what will be his first big-league outing since Sept. 23, 2023.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Nearing return to majors
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Woodruff (shoulder) allowed two earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out six in his latest rehab start at Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday.
Making the fifth start of his rehab assignment, Woodruff built up to 83 pitches (60 strikes) and displayed a fastball that topped out at 94.4 miles per hour. He's in the final stages of his recovery from September 2023 right shoulder capsule surgery, which kept him out for the entire 2024 season. Per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, Woodruff will either make one more rehab start with Nashville or return from the 15-day injured list to make his 2025 debut with the Brewers, which would likely fall next week in Cleveland.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Tosses 66 pitches in rehab start
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Woodruff (shoulder) struck out five and allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks over 3.2 innings in his first rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Nashville.
Woodruff had made a one-inning appearance toward the end of the Cactus League, but his start Saturday with Nashville represented his first in-season game action since Sept. 23, 2023, as he missed the entire 2024 campaign while recovering from right shoulder surgery. He was generally sharp during the outing, spotting 44 of his 66 pitches for strikes and topping out at 94.4 miles per hour with his fastball. Woodruff is likely to make at least two more starts in the minors before potentially returning from the 15-day injured list and joining the Milwaukee rotation in early May.
Woodruff (shoulder) will make his first rehab start at Triple-A Nashville on Saturday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
The plan is for Woodruff to throw roughly 65 pitches during his first rehab outing. The Brewers will keep the 32-year-old righty in the minors for multiple starts while he continues to build up his workload, though the team may push him to return sooner rather than later since it currently has seven starting pitchers on the injured list.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Rehab stint on tap
Rotowire
Woodruff (shoulder) will throw a simulated game Monday before reporting to Triple-A Nashville to begin a rehab assignment, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
The veteran right-hander can take up to 30 days on the rehab assignment, and he'll likely require most of that time to continue building his way back up from the shoulder surgery he underwent in October 2023. Woodruff will be a key rotation piece for Milwaukee once activated, especially with Nestor Cortes (elbow), Aaron Civale (hamstring) and Tobias Myers (oblique) all dealing with early-season injuries.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Placed on 15-day injured list
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The Brewers placed Woodruff (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Woodruff's progression from shoulder surgery has gone well lately, as he saw some game action in spring training and could be ready for a rehab assignment in the not-too-distant future. The Brewers haven't provided a timetable for when the right-hander will be ready to return from the IL for his 2025 debut.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Builds up to two innings
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Woodruff (shoulder) threw two innings in a minor-league spring game Friday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Manager Pat Murphy said the 32-year-old righty's fastball reached 95 mph Friday -- a tick up from the 94 mph he achieved during his one-inning Cactus League appearance March 10. The plan is for Woodruff to travel with the team to New York for its first regular-season series and throw an extended bullpen session. After that, he'll head back to Milwaukee to play in a sim game before embarking on a minor-league rehab assignment.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Cactus League debut scheduled
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Woodruff (shoulder) will pitch in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Guardians, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Woodruff was able to pitch in a minor-league game Tuesday -- his first taste of game action since undergoing surgery on his shoulder in October 2023. He touched 94 mph with his fastball and left his outing feeling encouraged despite giving up three runs in just two-thirds of an inning. Sticking true to a traditional four-day rest schedule, he's set to last at least one inning against the Guardians on Sunday. He'll then gradually build up his workload during the remainder of the Brewers' Cactus League schedule followed by a rehab assignment at one of Milwaukee's minor-league affiliates.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Getting stretched out in live BP
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Woodruff (shoulder) expects to pitch multiple "innings" during his next live batting practice session, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Woodruff had a third live batting practice session Thursday which consisted of 30 pitches, and the right-hander was pleased with how it went. He will continue to build up, albeit slowly, as he works his way back from right shoulder surgery. Woodruff has already been ruled out for Opening Day, but a timeline for his season debut remains murky.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Unlikely to be ready Opening Day
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Brewers manager Pat Murphy indicated in a recent interview that he does not expect Woodruff (shoulder) to be ready by Opening Day, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Woodruff underwent surgery in October of 2023 to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. His rehab had to be paused in August when he wasn't progressing as hoped, and while things have gone well with his recovery since then, he will be behind at the start of camp. A clearer timetable for when Woodruff will be ready for his season debut could be available at some point during spring training.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Throwing bullpens twice per week
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Woodruff (shoulder) said Monday he's in a "really, really good spot" but is not sure he'll be ready for Opening Day, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Recovering from October 2023 surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder, Woodruff began throwing off a mound in August and had been slated to face hitters in late September, but he wasn't physically ready so the pace of his rehab was slowed. However, the righty appears to have made significant progress since then and is throwing bullpen sessions twice per week. The next steps are for Woodruff to throw simulated innings and then face hitters. Next week, he will travel to the Brewers' pitching lab in Phoenix to get a status report on his stuff. While Woodruff is preparing to be ready by Opening Day, he's not able to say whether he'll reach that goal since he has many things to still check off his rehab to-do list. A clearer picture on the righty's timetable should be available during spring training.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Rules self out for 2024
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Woodruff (shoulder) confirmed Saturday that he won't pitch during the 2024 season but expects to return to full strength for 2025, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. "Honestly, I'm going [to] be the strongest I'll ever be at any point in my career because I'm going [to] have a year and just basically get my body ready for pitching," Woodruff said.
The Brewers non-tendered Woodruff in November, about a month after he underwent surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. He reunited with Milwaukee in February on a two-year, $7.5 million deal, with both parties recognizing that the 2024 portion of the contract would be dedicated to rehab and recovery. Since having surgery in the fall, Woodruff seems to be encouraged with where he stands five months later. He's already started playing catch again and could advance to throwing off a mound at some point during the summer. Milwaukee placed Woodruff on the 60-day injured list Feb. 21, and he'll remain off the 40-man roster for the entire season before being reinstated.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Re-signs with Milwaukee
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Woodruff (shoulder) signed a two-year contract with the Brewers on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
The financial details of the deal are not yet known. Woodruff was non-tendered by the Brewers earlier this offseason after he underwent surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. The veteran right-hander is expected to be sidelined for the duration of the 2024 campaign, with Milwaukee hoping it can get Woodruff back to ace-level production in 2025. Woodruff held a 2.28 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 74:15 K:BB over 67 innings covering 11 starts in 2023.
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Brandon Woodruff: Non-tendered by Milwaukee
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Woodruff (shoulder) became a free agent Friday after being non-tendered by the Brewers, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Woodruff is expected to miss the entire 2024 campaign following October surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. He's been a true ace when healthy, but Milwaukee couldn't justify paying his salary -- projected at around $11.6 million in his final year of arbitration -- while he potentially spends all of next season in rehab mode.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: 'Optimistic' about 2024 readiness
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Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said Tuesday that the team is "optimistic" regarding the availability of Woodruff (shoulder) for next season, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.
Woodruff suffered a right shoulder capsular injury during his final start of the regular season, keeping him from making an appearance during the Brewers' NL Wild Card Series loss to the Diamondbacks. He will receive a second opinion on the shoulder this week, but the team seems confident after the initial diagnosis that it won't keep the right-hander from being ready for the start of the 2024 campaign. Woodruff was limited to 11 starts this season due to shoulder issues but was excellent when healthy, holding a 2.28 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 74:15 K:BB over 67 innings. He will be eligible for arbitration for a final time this winter before entering his walk year.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Could miss playoffs due to shoulder
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Manager Craig Counsell said Monday that Woodruff is tending to a right shoulder capsular injury and will be out for the Brewers' wild-card round series with the Diamondbacks, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. "His availability for the postseason is up in the air at this point," Counsell added.
Woodruff appeared to be lined up to start Game 2 of the series Wednesday, but those plans will be scrapped after the shoulder issue cropped up following his final regular-season appearance Sept. 23. The right-hander, who already missed four months earlier in the campaign with a Grade 2 subscapular strain, will get a second opinion later this week, but his chances of pitching in the postseason don't seem promising even if the Brewers make a deep run, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Freddy Peralta now becomes the most likely candidate to start Game 2 after Corbin Burnes takes the hill for Game 1 on Tuesday.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: No-decision against Marlins
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Woodruff came away with a no-decision Saturday in the Brewers' 5-4 loss to the Marlins, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out six.
A three-run shot by Jake Burger in the first inning accounted for most of the damage off Woodruff, but the right-hander still left the mound having generating 29 called or swinging strikes among his 87 pitches. He saw his quality start streak end at five. Since returning to the rotation in early August, Woodruff has posted a 2.59 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 62:12 K:BB through 55.2 innings. With Milwaukee having already clinched the NL Central title, he could be headed for a reduced workload in his final regular-season start next weekend, likely to come at home against the Cubs.
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Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Shuts out Marlins
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Woodruff improved to 5-1 on the season in Monday's 12-0 win over the Marlins after striking out seven while allowing six hits and a walk in a complete-game shutout.
Woodruff didn't allow a single extra-base hit and rarely found himself in much danger during the dominant outing. He tossed 77 of 106 pitches for strikes en route to his first career MLB shutout and first complete game since 2020. He's allowed just three runs over his last 28 innings, lowering his season ERA to 1.93 across 56 frames. Woodruff has given up fewer than three runs in eight of his nine starts this year. His next outing is projected to come at home against the Nationals this weekend.
