In a surprise twist on Saturday afternoon, Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff, who was previously thought to be lost for the next year-plus to a second shoulder surgery, announced that he is no longer undergoing surgery. His follow-up appointment with his doctors showed unexpected healing, and as a result, he will soon start a throwing program.
Just a few weeks ago, many were wondering if Woodruff’s career was going to be officially over. A re-injury to his shoulder capsule appeared devastating and
the road to a second recovery was going to be far more challenging than the first.
It certainly would have been a horrible way for Woodruff’s career to end, and from the competitive aspect, it’s understandable why Woodruff wanted to continue pushing through. Even with diminished velocity, Woodruff was incredibly effective out on the mound, even when his shoulder started barking at him again.
So the news that Woodruff’s injury was not as bad as initially thought and that surgery would not be necessary was incredibly welcome news in the Brewers clubhouse.
“I’ve been hearing about this for a couple weeks, and I was like ‘it could happen’, you know. But now we also have to think of the reality of it, okay? Now he hasn’t picked up the ball. Now it’s the progression back. How quickly? How much risk is there in that?” Pat Murphy said pregame on Saturday.
With Woodruff’s injury history, there certainly is a lot of risk with that. Original projected timelines have a way of getting extended and there is barely more than a month left in the regular season.
The plan for Woodruff is a 5-week throwing progression that is beginning on Wednesday. He hasn’t thrown a baseball since the initial diagnosis, so he’s been shut down for several weeks already and it will take some time to build it back up through his progression. But already 5 weeks puts the timeline into early October, when the postseason will have already began.
How long the Brewers make it in the postseason is obviously yet to be determined and completely out of Woodruff’s control. But if they do make an extended run, with a 5 week throwing progression, it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility that Woodruff could conceivably come back for the later rounds, such as an NLCS or a World Series.
“I think there’s a low possibility, you know, but I think there’s a possibility, and why not go with it?” Murphy said.
It’s a very low possibility, and it’s important to temper expectations here. Woodruff would need everything to go smoothly and perfectly with his recovery and throwing progression. Throughout his last few years of shoulder issues, a smooth recovery and progression has not really happened.
But, again, if he were to make this miraculous recovery and return for the postseason, he certainly would not have enough time to build up to be a starter again this year. Woodruff would likely be stretched only to one inning, maybe two at most.
When you get to the NLCS or the World Series, however, would it be wise for the Brewers to use one of their roster spots on a surprise return there from Brandon Woodruff, or would that spot be better served with someone like DL Hall out of the bullpen?
That’s a question for further down the line that Brandon Woodruff is going to have to force the Brewers to answer by having a smooth progression from here on out. The margin for error is razor thin. It’s certainly great news for Woodruff’s potential to pitch in 2027 and continue his career. Avoiding surgery is huge for continuing his career.
Will it be enough to salvage a 2026 return? The odds are stacked against him, but as Woodruff has done throughout his entire career, he’ll give it everything he has.
