Brandon Woodruff keeps inching forward, and the Milwaukee Brewers have to like what they’re seeing.
The two-time All-Star is still working his way back from the Injured List, but his latest step came Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, where he threw a 31-pitch bullpen while Milwaukee enjoyed an off day in the National League Championship Series. According to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Brewers right-hander said his stuff is “pretty good” as he builds toward a possible late-season return.
“Brandon Woodruff threw a 31-pitch bullpen this afternoon at Dodger Stadium,” Hogg wrote. “The intent is being ramped up, and facing batters could be next.
How’s the stuff? 'If you ask me, it’s pretty good.'”
That’s the kind of update Milwaukee wanted after Woodruff first got back on a mound before the NLCS began. He had not thrown from a mound since landing on the Injured List in July, but he’s now done it twice before the series even got going, and Tuesday’s session pushed the workload a little further.
Brewers pitching coach Jim Henderson made clear that any return depends on more than just getting through bullpen work.
“He’s performed really well when he’s on the mound. So it’s never a question of whether we want him out there. ... "It’s probably going to be based on his health and his strength and velo," Henderson said, as transcribed by Hogg.
That next hurdle is the important one: facing live hitters. Woodruff has already climbed past 30 pitches, which is a strong sign for someone trying to work back into a bullpen role. If he can handle batters next, and if Milwaukee keeps winning, then the door stays open.
The catch is obvious. The Brewers are two wins away from reaching the World Series, and that’s the only way Woodruff could even have a shot at returning this season.
Even then, the timeline may still be tight. In the best-case scenario, the Brewers would keep moving and Woodruff would have enough time to factor into the bullpen, but his health remains the deciding factor.
That reality looks a lot different from where things stood in July. At that point, it seemed as if Woodruff’s 2026 season might already be over, and there was even concern it could affect 2027 as well.
Surgery would have created that outcome. Instead, after further evaluation, surgery was ruled out, and he soon began throwing again.
Now he’s already beyond the point anyone expected just a few months ago. If he gets all the way back onto the mound in a game in 2026, it would count as a major surprise around the organization.
But first comes the live-batting test, then the Brewers’ push to keep the season alive. If both pieces fall into place, Woodruff’s comeback could turn into one of the most striking stories in the sport.
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