Woodruff (shoulder) continues throwing progression

This qualifies as an all-time unexpected late-season development. Woodruff told reporters last month that he was undergoing season-ending capsule surgery on his right shoulder. That didn’t end up happening after followup imaging showed better than expected healing to the point that Dr. Keith Meister told him that surgery wasn’t required. He’ll begin a five-week throwing progression next week with the aim of being ready to pitch for Milwaukee in the postseason. Unreal. He won’t be ready in time to help fantasy managers down the home stretch, but his unexpected return would be a massive development for the Brewers heading into the playoffs.

The history of pitchers returning from multiple shoulder surgeries is extremely bleak, but Woodruff has insisted that he plans on pitching again. The 33-year-old former fantasy ace will miss the remainder of the current season in addition to a significant chunk of next year as well. He missed nearly a year and a half after undergoing a similar capsule repair procedure back in 2023. This latest development certainly helps explain why Milwaukee went out and acquire Lance McCullers Jr. from the Astros earlier this week.

While the Brewers have yet to provide an update after Woodruff received a second opinion on his injured shoulder, the fact that he’s being moved to the 60-day injured list doesn’t bode well. He won’t be eligible to return until early September, and it seems increasingly likely that Woodruff has already thrown his final pitch for the Brewers this season.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy described Woodruff’s initial MRI results as inconclusive after he landed back on the shelf with shoulder inflammation over the weekend. It’s an ominous development that leaves him without a definitive diagnosis and clear next steps. It certainly sounds like Woodruff is facing an extended absence and there’s a chance his season is over.

As expected, Woodruff lands on the injured list after re-injuring his right labrum during Saturday’s start against the Diamondbacks. While the Brewers haven’t given a timeline for his return, if it’s similar to the last time he dealt with this same issue, he wouldn’t return until mid-August. Drew Rom was recalled from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move on Sunday to add a fresh arm to the Brewers’ bullpen.

It’s the same injury that cost Woodruff six weeks earlier in the season. The 33-year-old struggled to three runs allowed over 3 2/3 innings, and his fastball velocity was down to 87 mph in the contest. If Woodruff were to miss the same amount of time, it’d put him back in the middle of August. Fantasy managers need to be prepared for the right-hander to not be available for the long haul now, and the Brewers will need to make yet another change to their rotation.

Woodruff exited after allowing three runs in 3 2/3 innings, and his velocity was down to 87 mph before he left the contest. The 33-year-old has unfortunately has dealt with significant injuries in the past, and fantasy managers will need to hold their breath and hope that this isn’t another one. More info should be available before the game ends.

Woodruff was excellent, striking out six and allowing just one hit with two free passes. Unfortunately, the 33-year-old received just one run of support, and the Brew Crew fell in extras. Still, it’s hard to not be impressed with how Woodruff has looked since his return, as he’s given up no runs in his 11 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts in that timeframe. The 33-year-old will be back on the bump Saturday against the Diamondbacks, and he should obviously be in fantasy lineups.

Woodruff was excellent in his first start since going on the injured list with shoulder inflammation in early May. The 33-year-old right-hander allowed one hit, no walks and struck out 10 Reds batters on Monday. Woodruff threw just 79 pitches in six innings after throwing 82 pitches in his final rehab start. He’ll face the Cubs at home this weekend in his next start.

This was reported days ago, but is now official. Woodruff had a 3.60 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 25/7 K/BB ratio in 30 innings this season and has been out since early May with shoulder inflammation. His rehab required an injection in the shoulder capsule to help reduce swelling, and the velocity on his fastball has not quite been back to his normal levels during his rehab stint. We’d prefer to keep Woodruff on our benches for this start and watch him against an MLB offense before deciding how healthy he really is.