Seattle sports, on tap daily

The August Surgery Brandon Woodruff Skipped to Pitch in the World Series

Tampa Bay Rays logo on gradient background

Written by

in

Tampa Bay Rays logo on gradient background
Tampa Bay Rays logo on gradient background — Created by the Sports On Tap desk | Source : Sports On Tap (team logos property of their respective owners)

Brandon Woodruff pitched the last inning of Game 3 of the World Series, a game where the Milwaukee Brewers absolutely destroyed the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1. His return alone was a triumph after the season he’d had, proving that sometimes, you just can’t count a guy out.

A World Series Appearance No One Expected

Woodruff threw 18 pitches in that final frame, allowing the Rays’ only run on two hits and one strikeout. In a 10-1 rout, those numbers might not jump off the page. But for Woodruff, stepping on that mound in the World Series, in front of everyone, was a victory in itself. This wasn’t just a late-game appearance in a blowout, it was a statement.

From Season-Ending Injury to World Series Mound

The backstory here is just wild. Woodruff hadn’t pitched since July 4, after going 3⅔ innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The reason? Right shoulder inflammation. His shoulder had already flared up once, landing him on the injured list for nearly two months in May and June. After that second flare-up, the expectation was he’d undergo season-ending surgery back in August. Seriously, *season-ending surgery*. But Woodruff started feeling better, and instead of going under the knife, he opted to try building his arm strength back up. Now, he’s pitching in the World Series. You can’t make this stuff up.

What an incredible comeback story for Woodruff. To go from a season that was supposed to be over in August to making an appearance in the biggest series in baseball, it’s something special.

This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.

Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.

About the author

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *