Jacob Misiorowski is set to return to the Milwaukee Brewers rotation Tuesday against the New York Mets, according to Hunter Baumgardt of Fox Sports 920, offering some relief days before Brandon Woodruff announced he needs season-ending shoulder surgery.
Misiorowski missed his final turn before the All-Star break with arm fatigue but has been cleared after resting through the intermission and Milwaukee's weekend series against the Miami Marlins. The right-hander has been the National League's top Cy Young contender through 18 starts, posting a 1.62 ERA, a 0.757 WHIP and 167 strikeouts against 27 walks.
Manager Pat Murphy is still expected to manage his workload closely given Misiorowski is on pace to blow past his career high in innings pitched.
Woodruff, a two-time All-Star, went 2-2 with a 2.98 ERA over nine starts and 45.1 innings before a velocity dip forced him out of a July 4 start against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He landed on the 15-day injured list the next day and was later moved to the 60-day injured list after imaging revealed the new capsule damage.
The rotation has already had to manage a pitching staff limited by fatigue and arm issues, including Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison. 2025 breakout Quinn Priester remains out for the season following thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. The Brewers hold a six-game lead over the Chicago Cubs atop the NL Central at 60-37.
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The timing of the injury also comes at a tough part of the season, as many teams are preparing to either "buy" or "sell" as the trade deadline approaches and postseason favorites start to emerge. The Brewers have already made a move to address the rotation depth by acquiring right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. and lefty Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
While it's too early to put a timeline on Woodruff's return, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy noted that his 2023 rehab took about 20 months from the operation to his first start. If the same timeline applies, Woodruff could be back well into 2027, meaning the club will really have to decide what they do with the trade deadline just a couple of weeks away.
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