Brandon Woodruff's Likely Role for Brewers in World Series Surfaces

The World Series will kick off on Friday night and the Milwaukee Brewers officially will have two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff on the roster.

It was a real question throughout the week, but Woodruff did enough to make the roster. Now, the next question is how will the team use him? The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Friday that he heard the idea of Woodruff being used as an opener "floated."

"Obviously, he's only going to be an inning or two at most." Rosenthal said. "If he can even do an up-down. But the idea of him as an opener is something that I have heard floated. That would be probably the best way to use Brandon Woodruff. One inning, get him out. Now, he's not going to be 95, 96. He was at 90, 92 the other day. But they trust him. They trust the person. They trust him to throw strikes."

"The idea of him as an opener is something that I've heard floated."@Ken_Rosenthal on how the Brewers might utilize Brandon Woodruff... pic.twitter.com/euRq8MZAs0
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 23, 2026

When Will Milwaukee Fans Seen Brandon Woodruff?

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

It's not a bad idea in the slightest. The Brewers used an opener in the National League Championship Series in Game 4 with Shane Drohan. He tossed an inning and allowed a run and came out. If this does become the reality, when could we see him? Well, Game 4 would make the most sense if he is being used as an opener.

Game 1 will have Jacob Misiorowski on the mound. Game 2 will have Logan Henderson on the hill. Game 3 should be Robert Gasser. The fourth game is more up in the air. The Brewers easily could roll with Dustin May, who started Game 3 in the National League Division Series. Or, they could use an opener, like in the NLCS. Drohan took the hill in Game 4 of the NLCS and tossed an inning before May came in out of the bullpen.

This would be the more natural way to get Woodruff back into the mix because he could follow the same daily buildup that he would if he were making a typical start. He tossed his first live bullpen in his recovery early in the week and it went well. If you're a fan of the Brewers, you shouldn't be nervous about this decision. For example, think back to June. Woodruff returned to the hill after missing roughly two months and delivered a six-inning, one-hit performance against the Cincinnati Reds in his first appearance off the Injured List. Woodruff knows how to pitch. Whether that is one inning, or nine, Woodruff is a nine-year big league veteran. Milwaukee wouldn't have put him on the roster if it didn't think that he could help.

Woodruff spoke about Milwaukee's decision on Friday and made it clear that he didn't want to be a "charity pick."

#Brewers Brandon Woodruff said he didn't want to be a "charity pick" to make the World Series roster.

He wanted to make sure that if he was on the roster, the team knew he could help them win. Said he'll be willing to pitch wherever the team needs him. pic.twitter.com/n4zgQ5ZqyI
— Lily Zhao (@LilySZhao) October 23, 2026

The Brewers saw enough from him to be on the roster. Even though he won't be in a long, multi-inning role. He can help and the most likely way is as an opener.

Add us as a preferred source on Google