The Milwaukee Brewers were slated to have Brandon Woodruff on the mound for Opening Day on Thursday, March 26, against the Chicago White Sox, but the veteran cast doubt on his availability heading into the 2026 season.
“It’s up in the air right now,” Woodruff told reporters, including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, about his Opening Day status. “There’s one goal I have this year, and that’s to be healthy. All the other stuff kinda comes along with it. I want to be available at the end of the year when it matters most, and what that looks like here early on could be a little bit different.”
Woodruff had just finished throwing 25 pitches in a simulated game. The right-hander said the next step in his ramp-up to the season is likely another simulated situation. With the Brewers already a few games into MLB Spring Training, Woodruff admitted he was progressing more slowly than his teammates. “I had a normal offseason, but I had to wait until the lat fully healed,” Woodruff said. “It’s fair to say I’m probably a touch behind some of the guys.”
Milwaukee Brewers Ace Brandon Woodruff Suddenly in Doubt for Opening Day
The veteran right-hander is coming off a truncated 2025 campaign, but there had been no prior indication that he wouldn’t be ready for the 2026 season. Woodruff sat out the first half of last season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. He came back for 12 starts before going down again in September with a lat strain. The injury ended his year, which meant he was sidelined for Milwaukee’s run to the National League Championship Series.
Woodruff first dealt with shoulder issues back in 2023. He hit the IL with shoulder inflammation in April of that season. Woodruff made it back for the final two months of that campaign, only to need surgery in the offseason. He re-upped with the Brewers on a cheap two-year deal while recovering from the procedure. While he only lasted a dozen starts, Woodruff’s performance this past season was enough for Milwaukee to extend him the qualifying offer, which he accepted.
Prior to the persistent arm troubles, Woodruff was one of the most dominant pitchers in the National League. He put together a three-year run from 2020 to 2022 with an ERA around 3.00 and a strikeout rate up near 30%. Woodruff’s best season came in 2021, when he delivered a 2.56 ERA across 30 starts and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting.
Who Steps Up in the Rotation Without Woodruff?
Milwaukee is lacking experience in the pitching staff beyond Woodruff, especially with Freddy Peralta getting shipped to the New York Mets. The only projected starter older than 25 is Chad Patrick, who has just 27 MLB games to his name. Woodruff was heading toward the Opening Day start due to seniority, but also because of a lack of clear alternatives.
If Woodruff can’t answer the call to begin the season, it could be rookie phenom Jacob Misiorowski on the bump for the opener. The top prospect burst onto the scene with a high-octane fastball that carried him to a 31.9% strikeout rate over 15 appearances. Misiorowski’s debut was so impressive that he earned an All-Star selection after just five starts. An Opening Day nod might be his next achievement.
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