​ST. LOUIS – There remains a great deal that remains unsettled regarding the specifics of Brandon Woodruff’s right shoulder injury, and what is definitively known at this stage does not bode well. The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Wednesday, July 8, that imaging taken on the 33-year-old pitcher revealed a new injury to his anterior shoulder capsule. Woodruff and the Brewers are now awaiting a second opinion from Keith Meister, the surgeon who first repaired Woodruff’s shoulder capsule in October 2023 and has continued to provide guidance in the intervening years.
Woodruff opened this season by starting six games before departing the sixth on April 30 after just 1⅓ innings with what was described as a “dead arm” sensation. He subsequently had a cyst drained from his shoulder, after which he spent roughly seven weeks ramping back up to form. He delivered a dominant performance in his return, spraying six innings of one-hit ball with 10 strikeouts in a shutout of the Cincinnati Reds on June 22. His next outing was nearly as effective, though the Brewers fell to the Chicago Cubs. The following appearance, against Arizona on July 4, did not go as well: Woodruff exited after 3⅔ innings and 61 pitches when his velocity fell noticeably.
He was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation and now awaits further instruction. Brewers manager Pat Murphy spoke about how Woodruff is handling the latest setback, noting, “It’s hard, but he’s trying to be strong. He’s trying to look for the positive in all of it. He was so good when he was pitching. He makes the whole room relax when they’ve got Woody on the mound.” Murphy added a sentiment many teammates and fans share: when Woodruff takes the mound, there’s an immediate sense of reassurance in the clubhouse. “You might think it’s (Jacob Misiorowski) because Miz is as good as there it,” Murphy joked, “but it’s really Woody. When Woody takes the mound, that’s when guys go, ‘Whew.’”
Through nine appearances this season, Woodruff has compiled a 2-2 record with a 2.98 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP, totaling 47 strikeouts in 45 ⅓ innings and contributing 1.2 bWAR. He is under a one-year, $22.025 million contract for the current season. The latest development constitutes another hurdle in what has already been a challenging year for Woodruff, who has battled back from an earlier right-shoulder issue while attempting to reclaim the form that made him one of Milwaukee’s most trusted starters.
This report originates from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and highlights the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Woodruff’s recovery timeline and prognosis as he awaits a second professional opinion on the new anterior capsule injury. The Brewers and their medical staff will now weigh additional diagnostic information and potential treatment paths in collaboration with Meister before determining the best course of action for Woodruff’s health and for the team’s pitching rotation going forward.