MILWAUKEE - Brandon Woodruff’s comeback bid took another step forward Saturday, and this one happened right in the middle of a Brewers postseason workout.
The veteran right-hander, who avoided season-ending right shoulder surgery in August and has been trying to position himself for a long-shot spot on Milwaukee’s World Series roster as a reliever, threw off a mound for the first time in San Diego and then repeated the workout Saturday afternoon before the Brewers’ National League Championship Series session.
“San Diego was the appetizer before the full buffet today,” Woodruff said. “Twenty pitches, full-go.
Or whatever my full-go is. I didn’t look at the radar gun.
Me and radar guns don’t get along anymore.”
Woodruff said he threw only fastballs, though he has been mixing in breaking balls and changeups during flat-ground work in recent weeks. If his arm bounces back well Sunday, the next goal is more bullpen sessions and, eventually, live batting practice before the World Series begins.
He knows the path is narrow. The Brewers still have to get past the Dodgers, and even if they do, time is working against him. But after everything he has already been through since first injuring his shoulder in September 2023, he decided the answer was simple.
“Why not try?”
“I’m going to try to force Murph’s hand,” he said, referring to Brewers manager Pat Murphy. “Listen, I’m crazy.
It’s a tight window but I’m just trying to check boxes. I’ve made so much progress, and I’ve gotten a lot stronger.
I’ve been consistently recovering the last two weeks.
“This might be crazy, I don’t know. If I didn’t have something to work towards and I was just sitting here watching, I would regret not trying.
God forbid, we don’t move on, if I finish this thing well, then it sets me up great. Regardless of what happens, I would beat myself up if I didn’t try this.”
While Woodruff keeps pushing his rehab forward, another Brewers player had a different kind of attention coming his way.
When 22-year-old Pratt arrived at American Family Field on Friday for a workout, home clubhouse manager Ben Wilkes told him he had a delivery waiting. Coca-Cola had noticed Pratt celebrating the Brewers’ NL Division Series win over the Padres with a couple bottles of Fanta, and the company sent him five cases as a gift.
“I’m not going to complain. I’ll happily accept,” Pratt said. “Now I have five cases of glass Fantas to get through.”
Pratt said he never expected his drink choice in a champagne- and beer-heavy clubhouse celebration to become a talking point, but he was glad it did. It also gave him a chance to speak about his faith.
“I take my religion pretty seriously as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and we don’t drink, we don’t smoke or anything like that,” Pratt said. “I saw a lot of people saying, ‘Oh, it’s because he’s a member of the church.’ And yeah, they were right.
“I didn’t get to go on my mission out of high school because I signed to play baseball instead, so I think it’s cool that I get to serve in other ways. This is a different type of mission.”
As for all that Fanta, Pratt already has a plan.
“I kept four cases here, hopefully for more celebrations,” Pratt said. “And I took one case home. I put it in my fridge for when I’m thirsty.”
There was also a family connection tied to the NLCS. Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel said his sons, Brady and Trey, will not be able to attend any of the games because both are in Phoenix playing in the Brewers’ fall program after Milwaukee selected Brady in the first round in 2025 and Trey in the first round in ‘26.
That setup at least saves them from the usual family tug-of-war.
“They always get the question, ‘Who are you rooting for?’” Dino Ebel said.
“They say, ‘The Brewers! We’re Brewers now!’”
The Brewers will also welcome a familiar face before Game 1 on Sunday night. Four-time All-Star Ben Sheets, who helped Milwaukee reach its first postseason in 26 years in 2008, will throw the ceremonial first pitch.
Parking lots will open 3 1/2 hours before first pitch, and the ballpark gates will open 2 1/2 hours before first pitch.
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It was the latest example of a postseason habit that has become part tactic, part theater. Milwaukee has leaned on smooth jazz and other deliberately calming sounds in similar situations before, turning pregame work into something a little less comfortable for the visiting club. In a series where every detail gets magnified, even the music choice feels like part of the game plan. [Read more 🡒]