Brandon Woodruff’s return is no sure thing, but the latest sign out of Milwaukee is a good one.
The Brewers right-hander is moving deeper into a five-week throwing program, with MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reporting Monday that Woodruff will begin his third week on Wednesday. That’s a notable step for a pitcher who, not long ago, seemed headed for another long absence.
Back in July, Woodruff injured his shoulder again and the outlook looked grim. He had already missed the 2024 season after suffering an anterior shoulder capsule injury in 2023, and this latest setback raised the possibility that surgery would once again shut him down for an extended stretch. Woodruff returned in 2025 and pitched in 12 games before getting hurt again.
The picture changed in late August. Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel spoke with Woodruff and reported that surgery ultimately was not needed. Instead, Woodruff was scheduled to begin a throwing progression shortly afterward.
Now he’s in the middle of that process, and the calendar is starting to matter. If Woodruff begins Week 3 on Wednesday, Week 4 would land around Sep. 16 and Week 5 around Sep.
- The regular season ends Sep.
That leaves Milwaukee with only a small window to work with, even as the Brewers remain positioned to make the postseason. If they finish with the No. 1 seed, they would get a bye in the first round before meeting a Wild Card team in the National League Division Series. If they end up at No. 2, they would face either a Wild Card team or the No. 3 division winner.
For now, the big takeaway is simple: Woodruff didn’t need surgery. That alone changes the long-term outlook, because it means he won’t miss the 2027 season barring another injury.
When he went down in July, there was real concern that Brewers fans might have already seen the last of him. That doesn’t appear to be the case, and it may not even be true for 2026.
In Other News...
Romeo Doubs Just Sparked A New Packers Debate
Romeo Doubs first game with the Patriots gave New England a quick look at why the former Packers receiver remains such an interesting player to track. Signed to a four-year deal in the 2026 offseason, Doubs was on the field in a recent game and saw three targets, with his night including one drop and an interception. For a Patriots offense dealing with injuries, even a modest debut carried extra weight because every available receiver is being asked to do a little more.
For Green Bay, the performance only adds another layer to the long-running conversation about why the Packers chose to move on from him. Doubs has already shown enough in his career to keep both sides of the argument alive, and a debut like this does not settle much either way. It does, though, remind everyone that once a player leaves, the debate usually turns less on what he did in one game and more on what the team thought it was giving up. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fans Still Appreciate What Mark Tauscher Became In Green Bay
When Packers fans look back at jersey No. 65, Mark Tauscher still stands out as the standard bearer. Drafted in the seventh round in 2000, he went on to carve out an 11-season career in Green Bay almost entirely at right tackle, becoming one of those steady, dependable linemen who rarely made headlines but always seemed to matter when the games got serious. He appeared in 142 games and eventually earned a place in the Packers Hall of Fame in 2018, which feels about right for a player whose value was built on consistency and toughness.
Tauschers story also carries a small bit of what-ifs, since injury kept him from taking part in the Packers Super Bowl 45 victory even though he still received a championship ring. For a franchise that has seen plenty of players pass through the No. 65 jersey, his legacy remains the one fans remember first, not just for how long he lasted, but for how well he fit in Green Bay once he got there. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Week 1 Depth Chart Hints At Whos Winning Key Job Battles
Following the roster cutdowns to 53 players, the Packers gave a clearer look at how some of their biggest training camp battles may have shaken out by releasing an unofficial Week 1 depth chart. It is not an official declaration, but it does offer a useful snapshot of where things stood coming out of camp and the preseason, with a few notable names showing up in spots that will matter once the games count.
Jacob Monk is projected to start at right guard, Barryn Sorrell is listed opposite Lukas Van Ness at edge rusher, and Keisean Nixon is still holding a starting cornerback role despite competition from newer draft picks and free-agent additions. For a Packers roster that kept several jobs open deep into August, those placements suggest some battles have tilted in certain directions, even if nothing is final yet. [Read more 🡒]