The Milwaukee Brewers received news on Saturday that right-hander Brandon Woodruff will undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder, leaving the Brewers to sort out how they will fill his rotation spot for the rest of the season, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
The procedure will repair the same anterior capsule that ended his 2023 season.
"I'm not having a funeral or anything," Woodruff said, noting the goal remains getting back to the mound healthy.
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 Milwaukee starters Jacob 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.
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.
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While it's too early to put a timeline on Woodruff's return, 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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