Brandon Woodruff’s latest injury scare has put the Brewers in a painfully familiar spot, and this time the stakes feel even heavier.
The veteran right-hander, the longest-tenured player on Milwaukee’s roster, has spent 10 years with the organization and has been part of nearly everything that has defined this era of Brewers baseball. Since arriving in 2017, Woodruff has seen the club grow from an overlooked NL Central team into a division force, collecting five NL Central titles along the way. He has stayed through roster turnover, front-office changes, and a managerial handoff from Craig Counsell to Pat Murphy, all while remaining one of the most trusted voices in the clubhouse.
That loyalty has made the recent injury run especially brutal to watch.
It started in October 2023, when Woodruff was ruled out for Milwaukee’s NL Wild Card series against the Arizona Diamondbacks because of a shoulder injury. The issue required surgical repair of his anterior capsule, and the rehab wiped out his entire 2024 season. Even after he began working his way back in 2025, more setbacks followed, including right ankle tendinitis and a comebacker that struck his pitching elbow.
At last, on July 6 of last year, Woodruff finally got back on a big-league mound after nearly two years away and made the wait worth it with a six-inning gem against the Miami Marlins.
He stayed effective the rest of the 2025 regular season, finishing with a 3.20 ERA, but the bad news returned just before the playoffs. On September 21 of last year, the same day Milwaukee clinched its third straight division title, Woodruff went on the injured list with a lat strain and missed the postseason again.
The Brewers still made a big commitment to him in the offseason, extending the one-year qualifying offer. Woodruff accepted the $22.025 million salary, making him the highest-paid pitcher in franchise history for a single season.
At the time, it looked like a smart bet. Now, with two IL stints already on the books, that decision is looking a lot shakier.
The latest concern arrived in 2026. Woodruff’s first IL stint came in late April because of inflammation and a cyst in his shoulder.
Dr. Keith Meister, who handled Woodruff’s anterior capsule reconstruction in 2023, drained the cyst with a minor procedure, and there was no structural damage found then.
The more alarming development came on Independence Day. Nearly a year after his return to the mound, Woodruff experienced another troubling drop in velocity and was pulled from the game before he had imaging done afterward.
That imaging showed a new injury to his anterior capsule, and the Brewers are now seeking a second opinion from Dr. Meister.
Brandon Woodruff returned to Milwaukee for a MRI and imaging revealed a new injury to the anterior shoulder capsule. His surgeon Dr. Keith Meister will provide a second opinion.
- Sophia Minnaert (@SophiaMinnaert) July 8, 2026
A second opinion is rarely a comforting sign for a pitcher. In this case, it raises the possibility that Woodruff may need surgery again, which would almost certainly end his 2026 season. With his one-year deal set to expire after the year, that would leave Milwaukee facing a major decision on a player who has meant so much to the franchise.
Even through the injuries and the reduced velocity, Woodruff has still produced when he’s been on the mound. Over the last two seasons, he posted a 3.11 ERA in 21 starts. And he still owns the lowest ERA in Brewers history among pitchers with at least 500 innings, sitting at 3.10.
Nothing has been finalized yet, and Woodruff has earned the benefit of the doubt. He has a reputation as one of the toughest pitchers in the game, and there is still a chance he remains with Milwaukee on a very different contract. But the reality is hard to ignore: this latest setback could bring his Brewers run to a devastating close.
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