What If Brandon Woodruff Can't Return? 4 Starters for Brewers to Target

The Milwaukee Brewers need to be thinking about adding another veteran starter.

Jun 3, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Milwaukee Brewers were fortunate to get Logan Henderson back on the mound on Thursday night.

Henderson did his job against a difficult St. Louis Cardinals club and pitched 5 1/3 innings, while allowing three earned runs and striking out four batters. He got the win and is now 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA in six starts so far this season in the majors.

Milwaukee's current rotation looks like Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat, Shane Drohan and Henderson, with the young righty back in the mix and Brandon Woodruff on the Injured List. That's a very good regular-season rotation, but arguably it needs another veteran. If Woodruff can return this season, great. He would fit the description of a veteran. But, even still, the club could use another hurler because of all the injuries that have popped up.

Woodruff is dealing with a shoulder issue and it was revealed that he suffered a new anterior shoulder capsule injury. Now, he's seeking a second opinion. His 2023 season ended early because of an anterior shoulder capsule injury that required surgery, which knocked him out for the entire 2024 season. The jury is still out and as of writing, the Brewers haven't announced the results of the second opinion.

Hopefully, the news is positive and he can return this season. If not, the Brewers need to look to the trade market. The rotation is arguably too young to go up against the likes of playoff-tested teams, like the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Atlanta Braves, in the postseason.

Here are four options for the Brewers to consider.

Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels

Jul 3, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Reid Detmers (48) throws against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Detmers certainly isn't playoff-tested playing over in Los Angeles. But he has plenty of experience in the big leagues and would help the Brewers. He's in his sixth year in the majors and is still just 27 years old. He has a 4.39 ERA this season in 19 starts and has two more seasons of control left.

Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals

Jul 9, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) follows through on a pitch against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Royals are bad. If they sell, which they should, Wacha is someone who would bring them back a pretty penny. He's someone Milwaukee should be all over. He has a 3.77 ERA in 19 starts this season and hasn't finished a campaign with an ERA above 3.86 since 2021. Wacha is a former NLCS MVP and has pitched in 10 games in the playoffs overall. It's hard to argue against him as a fit.

Robbie Ray, San Francisco Giants

Jul 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (38) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ray is a former Cy Young Award winner and a two-time All-Star. He'll be a free agent after the season, but could help beforehand. He's pitched in six playoff games so far in his career.

Freddy Peralta, New York Mets

Jul 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches the ball against the Atlanta Braves during the fourth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's important to note that the idea of bringing Peralta back should be considered a pipe dream. With the Detroit Tigers starting to turn their season around and the Miami Marlins playing well, that very well could end up taking Tarik Skubal and Sandy Alcántara off the board. If that's the case, Peralta would be the best pitcher available. He's a rental and will be a free agent after the season. The Mets are having a horrible season and have shown no signs of turning this thing around.

With Woodruff on the Injured List, the Brewers could use another workhorse. Peralta is that. Again, a move to bring him back shouldn't be considered likely, by any means. But he would help this team on paper.