Brewers Dump 7-Year Veteran Amid Difficult 2026 Season

The Milwaukee Brewers certainly had a busy day from a transaction standpoint on Friday.

Before the Brewers faced off against — and beat — the Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee announced four roster moves. Lefty hurler DL Hall was placed on the 15-Day Injured List with what the club called a left pectoral strain. Fellow lefty hurler Brian Fitzpatrick was promoted from Triple-A Nashville. Righty reliever Craig Yoho was also promoted from Triple-A Nashville. On top of these moves, the Brewers designated right-handed hurler Jake Woodford for assignment.

Today's transactions pic.twitter.com/baSvQIUOHT
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 5, 2026

The Brewers Are Moving On

May 4, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jake Woodford (41) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

For all of the positives of the organization this season, Woodford is someone who has actually gotten some heat at points. Before being designated for assignment on Friday, Woodford had pitched in 16 games for the Brewers this season and struggled to the tune of a 6.94 ERA and a 20-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 23 1/3 innings pitched. Woodford joined the organization after signing a minor league deal with the team back in November.

Now, that he has been DFA'd, clubs will have a chance to claim him on waivers. If he goes unclaimed, then the Brewers could try to outright him to the minors or simply let him walk. If they try to outright him, Woodford has the right to decline because he has more than three years of Major League service time under his belt.

Overall, he's a seven-year big league veteran with a career 5.25 ERA. Last year, he pitched in 22 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks and had a 6.44 ERA in 36 1/3 innings pitched. Beyond the Brewers and Diamondbacks, Woodford has also made stops with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Chicago White Sox, and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The best season of his career came as a member of the Cardinals back in 2022. That year, he logged a 2.23 ERA across 27 big league outings. Both numbers are his career best.

The Brewers still have the eighth-best bullpen ERA in the league at 3.34, despite carrying Woodford's 6.94 ERA for a while. Hopefully, things take a turn for the better now with Yoho specifically in the mix. He pitched two scoreless innings in relief on Friday. Beforehand, he logged a 1.00 ERA in 16 appearances with Triple-A Nashville. Last season, he had a 0.94 ERA in 43 appearances with Triple-A Nashville, but had a 7.27 ERA in eight big league outings.

Yoho could very well end up being the missing piece for this bullpen if he can carry his minor league momentum to the majors. His big league sample size is small, but he has pitched in 110 games down in the minors and has a 1.14 ERA to show for that. If he can bring that to the majors, then Milwaukee is about to get even better.

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