Brandon Woodruff's Brewers Return in 2026 Hinges on Shoulder Test

It sounds like there's still a slight chance that Milwaukee Brewers fans could potentially end up seeing Brandon Woodruff again in 2026.

That statement would've been impossible to write back in July. He landed on the Injured List and the expectation at the time was that he would need surgery that would end his 2026 season and likely his 2027 campaign as well. That isn't the case any longer. In August, it was shared that Woodruff actually didn't need surgery and that he would start throwing soon after. That did end up happening and now his next steps are reportedly to have his shoulder imaged on Friday in order to see if he's advanced to the point of throwing off a mound, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.

"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 shared that Woodruff would be evaluated towards the end of September to see if he could throw off a mound. Clearly, there haven't been any setbacks at this time and Woodruff's evaluation is coming. This will be the most important step yet in his quest to return this season. If the tests come back clean, he keeps the hopes alive. If they don't come back clean, the odds of a return this season will be very slim with the season winding down and the playoffs approaching.

Next Steps For Brandon Woodruff

Jun 28, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) during the game against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This doesn't mean that if the scans come back clean, he'll take the hill for the Brewers the next day. He's been throwing. Woodruff kicked off a five-week throwing program weeks ago. McCalvy reported a few weeks ago that Wednesday, Sep. 9 kicked off the third week of the program. So, Wednesday, Sep. 16 would begin the fourth week and Sep. 23 would kick off the fifth week, if everything followed the same schedule. So, he's inching closer and closer. But the second he does begin throwing off a mound, it will begin another progression in itself.

He needs to not only throw off a mound, but get to the point where he can be impactful and get big league hitters out.

For Milwaukee to get Woodruff back this season, it needs there to be no setbacks with his shoulder, first and foremost. Then, it needs to make a deep run in the playoffs. Milwaukee will begin its run in the playoffs on Oct. 3. Woodruff is scheduled to get checked out on Friday, which is Sep. 25. That means that there will be eight days between when he is examined, and when the Brewers' playoff run begins. If the Brewers were to advance to the National League Championship Series, it would begin on Oct. 11, 16 days after Woodruff gets checked out. The World Series will begin on Oct. 23, just shy of one month after Woodruff's examination.

Once Woodruff does take the hill, it's going to likely be weeks until he's ready for a big league game. Arguably, the NLCS or World Series would be the most likely time he could return, if there are no setbacks and everything goes perfectly. He has made clear progress. Now, the hope is that the tests come back clean and he can take those next steps.

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