Brewers' Brandon Woodruff Dealt Another Brutal Shoulder Setback

The Milwaukee Brewers are waiting for another Brandon Woodruff update after hurting his shoulder again.

Jun 22, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Milwaukee Brewers are waiting for more information about injured starter Brandon Woodruff, but there was an update on Wednesday that didn't sound great.

Brewers team reporter Sophia Minnaert shared that after further imaging, a new injury to his anterior shoulder capsule was revealed and now he will be seeking a second opinion from surgeon Dr. Keith Meister.

"Brandon Woodruff returned to Milwaukee for an MRI and imaging revealed a new injury to the anterior shoulder capsule. His surgeon Dr. Keith Meister will provide a second opinion," Minnaert wrote.

Earlier in the afternoon on Wednesday, Brewers manager Pat Murphy was asked how Woodruff is holding up.

"Really hard. But he’s trying to be strong," Murphy said, as transcribed by Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The Brewers Are In Wait-And-See Mode With Brandon Woodruff

Jul 4, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) throws in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is a nerve-wracking update for the 33-year-old. He had a 2.98 ERA in nine starts before landing back on the Injured List. Initially, he missed about six weeks of action between April 30 and June 22 due to a shoulder inflammation and a cyst in his shoulder. When Woodruff landed back on the Injured List, it was shared that he was dealing with something similar.

With the idea of a new injury to his anterior shoulder capsule now known, that does change the conversation a bit. His 2023 season was cut short and then he missed the entire 2024 season due to an injury to his anterior capsule. In 2025, he was able to make just 12 starts as he returned to the mound. It's too early to know, but if there is anything similar to that going on, it would be devastating for Woodruff and the organization as a whole.

Woodruff is someone who has all the talent in the world but has been very unlucky over the last few years. You can't control or predict injuries like these. For Woodruff, he just hasn't been able to catch a break.

The best-case scenario would obviously be nothing serious and a return this season at some point. The worst-case scenario would be surgery being necessary and then missing Woodruff for an extended period. At this point, we have to wait to find out more. More information likely won't come out until Woodruff gets his second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister. Hopefully, he's closer to the best-case scenario, rather than the worst.