Brandon Woodruff faces another shoulder surgery in Brewers blow
The Brewers starter said he will have another right shoulder anterior capsule procedure after a velocity drop in his July 4 outing.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Brandon Woodruff’s bobblehead day in Milwaukee came with a brutal real-life twist: the Brewers starter told reporters Saturday that he is headed for another anterior capsule surgery on his right shoulder, according to the Associated Press.
Woodruff spoke before the Brewers’ afternoon game against the Miami Marlins and said the procedure is the same one he had after the 2023 season. The AP reported that the operation is likely to end his 2026 season.
Woodruff did not set a timetable for a comeback. His previous recovery took about 20 months from surgery to his return to a major league mound.
“I'm never closing the door on pitching,” Woodruff said, according to the AP. “I'm getting this (surgery) with the intention of rehabbing and taking care of that and being able to pitch again.”
The latest trouble surfaced after Woodruff was removed from a July 4 start against the Arizona Diamondbacks following a dip in velocity. The Brewers diagnosed him the next day with a new injury to his anterior capsule and put him on the 15-day injured list, the AP reported.
Milwaukee later moved him to the 60-day injured list on July 12.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy said he feared the worst when the club went to the mound during that Arizona start.
“I knew, when we went to the mound (to pull Woodruff), it was bad,” Murphy said, according to the AP. “It's tough to come back from what he's going to have to come back from.”
A familiar rehab road
Since landing on the injured list, Woodruff has worked with Dr. Keith Meister, who also repaired his shoulder after the 2023 season, according to the AP. Meister removed a cyst from Woodruff earlier this season in early May, a minor surgery that sidelined the right-hander for nearly two months.
Woodruff missed the entire 2024 season after his October 2023 shoulder surgery. He came back midway through last season and went 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 12 starts, but a lat strain kept him out of the playoffs, according to the AP.
Woodruff said having gone through the rehab process before gives him a clearer view of what is coming.
“Thankfully, I got that perspective, which I think will benefit me for sure,” Woodruff said, according to the AP. “It's not going to be easy. I know it's going to be tough. I know what's ahead of me.”
In nine starts this season, Woodruff posted a 2-2 record with a 2.98 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP and 47 strikeouts over 45 1/3 innings, according to the AP.
Brewers pitching staff takes another hit
Woodruff’s injury lands on a Brewers staff that entered Saturday with a 3.48 ERA, second in the majors behind the New York Yankees, according to the AP.
Murphy summed up the loss in three words: “It's a gut punch.”
Milwaukee is also waiting on left-hander Kyle Harrison, who went on the 15-day injured list July 11 because of tightness in his throwing forearm. Harrison had an MRI during the break and was awaiting results, though he had started a throwing program, the AP reported.
The Brewers added pitching help Wednesday by acquiring right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. and left-hander Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros in exchange for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder, according to the AP.
Milwaukee reinstated McCullers from the 15-day injured list Friday, placed him on the active roster and optioned reliever Jared Koenig to Triple-A Nashville. McCullers is expected to begin with the Brewers in the bullpen, the AP reported.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.