Brewers Should Call Marlins Now After Losing Brandon Woodruff

It's no secret that the Milwaukee Brewers should be surveying the starting pitcher market right now.

Milwaukee was dealt a heavy blow over the weekend as two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff was forced to exit his start on July 4 against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a similar injury that kept him out of action from April 30 through June 22 earlier in the season. At the time, he was dealing with shoulder inflammation and eventually had a procedure to address a cyst in his shoulder as well. He returned to the mound on June 22 and looked like his dominant self as he went six shutout innings against the Cincinnati Reds while allowing one base hit and striking out 10 batters in just 79 pitches.

Unfortunately, Milwaukee is going to miss him for a bit, at least. He's back on the Injured List now with a similar injury, although he's not giving up.

“It gets frustrating having to go through this stuff, but I'm in a good spot mentally with it,” Woodruff said. “I know what's before me. I know what I'm dealing with, so if I can avoid some things, it just becomes, 'Get back on the field and pitch and help them win.'”

Hopefully, Woodruff is able to return and help this club win games down the stretch. But with his shoulder up in the air, the Brewers have to be thinking about a trade deadline addition. Even if Woodruff is able to return this season, unfortunately the team does have to worry about this injury coming up again because it has already. Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison are a two-headed monster and Logan Henderson should be back this week, but the Brewers need another veteran arm for this playoff push, especially with Woodruff uncertain.

The Brewers Need Another Starter

Jul 4, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) throws a pitch against the Athletics during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The perfect addition would be Tarik Skubal, but the Detroit Tigers have slowly started to turn a corner and have the best record in the American League since June 1 at 18-12. They are still 10 games below .500 at 40-50, so Skubal could still be in play. But the guy to target right now should be Sandy Alcántara of the Miami Marlins.

Alcántara is a former National League Cy Young Award winner who dealt with injuries in 2024, but has shown over the last two seasons that he's fully healthy again. What makes him stand out for the Brewers is the fact that he's a dependable innings-eater, above all else.

Alcántara is tied for the league lead with 19 starts under his belt and he's leading baseball with 123 2/3 innings pitched. That in itself is what Milwaukee needs. Injuries have piled up all season to this point and Milwaukee has had to find a way through. Alcántara would give the Brewers the Freddy Peralta-like hurler that they are missing.

Last year as injuries piled up, Peralta was the guy who consistently took the mound every fifth day. Milwaukee needs another veteran who can come in and give the club a bit of peace of mind knowing that the hurler is going to be able to go out each time through the rotation while also giving the bullpen a break.

Plus, Alcántara is obviously uber-talented. He has a 10-4 record and a 4.00 ERA so far on the season with a 92-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The biggest negative right now is the fact that the Marlins have actually been solid this season. Miami is 49-42 on the season, so trading Alcántara may not be in the cards, unless the club takes a turn for the worse. Right now, the Marlins are tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the third National League Wild Card spot. That will have to change if Milwaukee wants any shot at Alcántara, which it should. With all of the injuries piling up, Alcántara is the guy the Brewers should be watching.

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