Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff was diagnosed on Wednesday with a new injury to his troublesome right shoulder after exiting early from his most recent start and returning to the injured list. The team said an MRI exam revealed a new injury to Woodruff’s anterior capsule, which was surgically repaired after the 2023 season. The Brewers planned to send Woodruff to surgeon Dr. Keith Meister for a second opinion after initially diagnosing him with inflammation.
The 33-year-old experienced a significant drop in velocity on Saturday at Arizona and was removed during the fourth inning of his third start since coming off the injured list, where he’d spent nearly two months after minor surgery to remove a cyst. Woodruff’s fastball velocity plummeted from an average of 91.1 miles per hour in the first inning to just 86.6 mph by the time he exited the game, a concerning development that immediately warranted further medical evaluation.
“It gets frustrating having to go through this stuff, but I’m in a good spot mentally with it,” Woodruff said following his removal from Saturday’s game.
Woodruff described his frustration with the recurring nature of his shoulder problems, saying “It’s one of those things where you hoped that it would hold on until you get to the end of the year, and then you reassess and kind of make some adjustments. But it kind of just popped up on me again here.”
This marks the second time this season Woodruff has been sidelined with shoulder issues. He was initially placed on the injured list in early May after developing a cyst and inflammation in the shoulder, which he underwent a minor surgical procedure to address. He returned to action on June 22 and appeared to be progressing well, but the new setback came just three starts after his return.
The latest injury represents a dark chapter in a long saga of shoulder problems for the veteran right-hander. He underwent major shoulder surgery in October 2023 to repair his anterior capsule after a subscapular strain cut short his 2023 season. That surgery required a lengthy rehabilitation process that sidelined him for the entire 2024 season. When he finally returned to pitch midway through 2025, he managed 12 starts with a 3.20 ERA before a lat strain kept him from the playoffs.
Despite his injury history, Woodruff has been highly effective when healthy this season. Through nine starts, he posted a 2.98 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 45.1 innings of work. When he took the mound, he demonstrated he could still compete at a high level, suggesting that pitching ability remains intact even as his shoulder continues to betray him.
Meister, the orthopedic surgeon who performed Woodruff’s 2023 surgery, will evaluate him again to determine the path forward. The decision about whether another surgical procedure might be necessary will hinge on Meister’s examination. Manager Pat Murphy indicated the team needs a clearer picture of Woodruff’s condition before plotting the next steps.
No timetable has been provided for when Woodruff might return from the 15-day injured list. Earlier in the season, after his first injury, he missed approximately 52 days. If the latest injury follows a similar recovery timeline, he would not be expected back until late August at the earliest, though this assumes no setbacks and no surgical intervention.
The injury creates significant complications for the Brewers’ rotation as the team navigates the stretch run toward the All-Star Break and beyond. Milwaukee enters play with a 58-33 record, holding second place in baseball and maintaining a firm grip on first place in the National League Central division. With playoff aspirations intact, the team’s pitching depth will be tested by Woodruff’s absence.
The Brewers will receive some relief with the activation of Logan Henderson from the injured list, who is scheduled to start against the St. Louis Cardinals. However, losing Woodruff for an extended period forces the organization to evaluate potential moves ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. The team could look internally to develop younger arms like Brandon Sproat, Shane Drohan, and Henderson himself, or they might pursue experienced starting pitching on the open market to bolster their roster for a postseason push.
“It’s not yet clear whether another surgery will be under consideration,” one observer noted, capturing the uncertainty surrounding his future. The answers will come after Meister’s evaluation, which will determine whether Woodruff faces weeks or months of rehabilitation, and whether the Brewers’ hopes of adding a world title hinge on decisions made in the coming days.