Longtime Milwaukee Brewers Ace Gets Worrisome Injury Update From Manager

Brewers manager Pat Murphy told the Milwaukee Journal-Constitution that Brandon Woodruff won't be back for the start of spring training, but it sounds like he won't be an option for the Opening Day rotation, either.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) looks in to the catcher during the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at American Family Field in 2023. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy gave a disappointing injury update on longtime ace pitcher Brandon Woodruff this week.

He was asked about the health of Woodruff and former MVP Christian Yelich by the Milwaukee Journal-Constitution:

And in Woody's case, I think we've got to realize what he's coming back from. He's coming back from a shoulder injury that is quite serious, and that doesn't always have a timetable that's conducive to spring training starting. So, I think as of right now, Yeli would probably be ahead of him in terms of being game-ready, and I think Woody's probably a little more realistically down the road. But you take them all very seriously.

While he didn't explicitly come out and say it, it sounds like Woodruff isn't going to be ready early in spring training - and therefore it sounds like he won't be an option for the Opening Day rotation either. He had surgery on the anterior capsule in his throwing shoulder at the end of 2023 and missed all of 2024.

The 31-year-old is 46-26 lifetime with a 3.10 ERA. He's a two-time All-Star who finished fifth in the National League Cy Young voting in 2021. For years, he paired with Corbin Burnes to make up one of the most dynamic top of the rotations in all of baseball. Burnes was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles last offseason and just signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason.

The Brewers are coming off a season in which they won the National League Central by a whopping 10 games, but if they are going to do it again, they'll likely need a big contribution from Woodruff, and it appears unclear if and when he'll be able to provide that.

Aaron Civale, Nestor Cortes, Tobias Myers and Freddy Peralta seem to be sure things in the Brewers rotation at the beginning of the year.

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