Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff is officially out for the entire 2026 season. This absolute gut punch comes as Woodruff, 33, told reporters Saturday he needs surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. It’s the second time in just three years he’s facing this brutal procedure, and get this: the Brewers were handing out Woodruff bobbleheads to fans before Saturday’s game with the Marlins. Talk about an unfortunate coincidence.
A Devastating Repeat and an Uncertain Future
This isn’t Woodruff’s first rodeo with this exact shoulder surgery. He had the same procedure back in 2023, which made him miss the entire 2024 campaign. He didn’t even get back on the mound until July of last season, 2025, where he made 12 starts. He posted a 3.20 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings before a right lat strain ended his season in September. Now, with another anterior capsule repair looming, his return for the 2027 season is already looking uncertain. It’s a brutal blow for a guy who, when healthy, was pitching well, finishing his 2026 season with a 2.98 ERA in nine starts, a 2-2 record, and 47 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings.
The Warnings Were Loud, and the Velocity Dropped
The writing was on the wall for a bit, honestly. Woodruff landed on the injured list back on July 5 with right shoulder inflammation. Just the day before, he left a start against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth inning. He was wincing, man, after striking out Adrian Del Castillo on his 61st pitch. The red flags were flying high when his fastball velocity steadily dropped from 92.5 mph down to a concerning 86.6 mph during that game. Brewers manager Pat Murphy didn’t mince words, telling reporters on Saturday, “I knew, when we went to the mound, it was bad.” Murphy had even said Friday that “the outlook isn’t good.” This isn’t even the only shoulder issue this year: Woodruff was on the IL in May with shoulder inflammation, experiencing a “dead” arm and decreased velocity before having a cyst removed from his shoulder joint, sidelining him for nearly two months.
This is a major headache for the Brewers. Their pitching staff is already facing depth issues, with Kyle Harrison recently placed on the IL for left forearm tightness. Harrison, who had a solid 3.01 ERA in 17 starts with 101 strikeouts, is currently awaiting MRI results, though he did plan a bullpen session for Saturday. The team tried to address some of this by acquiring Lance McCullers from the Houston Astros this week, but the nine-year veteran is expected to work out of the bullpen after posting a 6.86 ERA in eight starts with Houston. The Brewers still boast the top team ERA in the National League at 3.47, second only to the Yankees in MLB, but losing Woodruff for good and Harrison for who knows how long is gonna test that depth big time. What’s next for this rotation? We’ll be watching to see how they piece it all together.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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