Brandon Woodruff has yet to participate in the Brewers’ postseason run as the lat strain the veteran righty suffered in September kept him off Milwaukee’s NLDS roster. That absence will now extend into the NL Championship Series, such as Adam McCalvy of MLB.com writes that Woodruff has yet to even start catching, so he obviously won’t be ready in time for the start of the NLDS on Monday.
With his pitching still lacking, Woodruff would make a lot of progress in a fairly short period of time to qualify for a possible World Series roster. If the Brewers beat the Dodgers in the NLCS, Game 1 of the World Series will fall on October 24, giving Woodruff just 12 days to get up to speed enough to even pitch in a relief role.
When asked if a return was possible, Woodruff said: “I’m not ready to answer that question yet. I tried to get ready. Every day is better and better for me. I don’t know what tomorrow looks like, but the last 2-3 weeks have been good for me and we’ll see what happens. It’s too early to say anything.”
Woodruff last pitched on September 17, when he pitched a strong start (five IP, one earned run on two hits and no walks with nine strikeouts) in the Brewers’ 9-2 victory over the Angels. The performance was a continuation of Woodruff’s quality results in his comeback season, as the right-hander posted a 3.20 ERA, 32.3% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate over 12 starts and 64 2/3 innings.
These would be excellent numbers for any pitcher, but it was a special win for Woodruff considering his many injury battles. Shoulder surgery cost him the entire 2024 season and an ankle problem delayed the start of his 2025 season, but Woodruff not only returned healthy but showed the form that made him a two-time All-Star. Unfortunately, Woodruff’s dream return and surefire role in Milwaukee’s postseason rotation was spoiled by his lat strain.
With Woodruff still not here, Freddy Peralta may be the only Brewers pitcher guaranteed to work as a traditional starter in the NLCS. Quinn Priester, Jose QuintanaAnd Chad Patrick could all get a start, or possibly be pseudo-starters in a bulk pitcher capacity, if the Brew Crew once again deploys a high-leverage reliever as an opener against Los Angeles.
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