The Milwaukee Brewers are continuing to solidify themselves as one of the top teams in the majors this season, as they opened the second half of the campaign with a walk-off 2-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night. Ahead of the second game of this series, though, the team received some tough injury news regarding starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff.
Earlier this month, Woodruff hit the injured list with a shoulder injury, and considering all the work he has had done in the past here, that immediately raised red flags for the team. Sure enough, testing revealed that Woodruff needed to undergo another procedure on his surgically repaired shoulder, which will bring a premature end to his 2026 campaign.
Brewers Set to Be Without Brandon Woodruff for Rest of 2026 Campaign
When Woodruff has been on the mound for the Brewers, he’s been one of the best starters in the majors. The problem is that he has only managed to make it through a full season without any sort of injury woes once in his 10-year career. That came back in 2021, which also just so happened to be the best year of his career (9-10, 2.56 ERA, 211 K, 0.97 WHIP).
Woodruff’s shoulder issues began back in 2023, as he was forced to undergo surgery on his right anterior shoulder capsule, which ended his season early. The recovery timeline for the procedure was lengthy, and it ended up costing Woodruff the entire 2024 campaign, too. He eventually returned last season, but he made just 12 starts for Milwaukee as he struggled to stay healthy.
Those issues persisted this year, as Woodruff made just nine starts before his shoulder issues flared back up. The same injury that popped up back in 2023 has arrived again, forcing Woodruff to undergo the exact same surgery that cost him nearly two full years on the mound. While he hopes to eventually return to the mound, if he does so, it likely wouldn’t happen until the 2028 campaign, given how long the recovery is expected to take for him.
“Beloved Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff officially announces that he needs shoulder surgery for the second time in three years, ending his season,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today shared in a post on X. “He’s still hoping he can still return to the mound in the future, but likely not before 2028.”
Brewers’ Starting Rotation Must Pick Up the Slack with Brandon Woodruff Out
GettyBrandon Woodruff of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Injuries can be cruel, no matter what sport you play in, but Woodruff’s case is so frustrating because when he’s pitching, he’s generally been lights out. Even this year, Woodruff only made nine starts, but he looked like himself during his time on the mound (2-2, 2.98 ERA, 47 K, 0.84 WHIP). While Milwaukee certainly wasn’t counting on him, given his injury woes, the rest of the starting rotation will now have to pick up the slack.
Doing so will be easier said than done, though. While Jacob Misiorowski has been electric this season, Kyle Harrison is currently on the injured list, and guys like Brandon Sproat and Robert Gasser both have ERAs sitting above five right now. The Brewers have developed a reputation for unearthing diamonds in the rough more than any team in the majors, but the front office may look to the trade market for another starter now that Woodruff’s season is confirmed to be over.
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