Brandon Woodruff’s path back to the Brewers is still alive, but it now runs through one big checkpoint: Friday’s shoulder imaging.
That’s the next step in a process that looked very different in July. At that point, Woodruff had landed on the Injured List and the expectation was that surgery would wipe out his 2026 season and likely his 2027 campaign too. That changed in August, when it was reported that he did not need surgery and would begin throwing soon afterward.
He did just that, and now the focus has shifted to whether his shoulder has progressed enough for him to start throwing off a mound. MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reported that Friday’s imaging will help answer that question.
"Brandon Woodruff said he'll have more imaging of his shoulder on Friday before conferring with the doctors about whether to try throwing off a mound," McCalvy wrote.
Last week, it was reported that Woodruff would be evaluated toward the end of September for that same possibility, and so far there have been no setbacks. That makes this a meaningful moment in his comeback, because a clean scan would keep the door open. A poor result would make a return this season look very unlikely with the schedule running out and the postseason near.
Even if the imaging comes back clean, that does not mean Woodruff would be ready to pitch for Milwaukee right away. He has already been working through a five-week throwing program, and McCalvy noted a few weeks ago that Wednesday, Sep. 9 marked the start of the third week. That would put Wednesday, Sep. 16 at the beginning of week four and Sep. 23 at the start of week five, assuming everything stayed on track.
The mound work would only be the next phase. After that comes another ramp-up before he could be counted on against big league hitters.
For the Brewers to get Woodruff back this season, two things have to happen: his shoulder has to keep responding, and Milwaukee has to keep playing deep into October. The Brewers are set to begin their playoff run on Oct. 3, which is eight days after Friday’s checkup.
If they reach the National League Championship Series, that round would start on Oct. 11, 16 days after the exam. The World Series begins Oct. 23, just shy of a month after Woodruff’s imaging.
So the picture is clearer than it was a few months ago, but it’s still a long road. Woodruff has made real progress. Now the Brewers are waiting on the tests, and on whether the next step can finally begin.
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