Brandon Woodruff to Undergo Second Shoulder Capsule Surgery

[Jack Stern]

Image courtesy of (C) Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Brandon Woodruff planned to address the media on Sunday afternoon about his future, but after speculation about that pending announcement spread quickly on Friday afternoon, he moved his press conference up a day to clear the air.

“I’m not having a funeral or anything,” Woodruff said.

Woodruff made clear that he is not retiring, which was how some interpreted Pat Murphy’s announcement on Friday that “the outlook isn’t good” regarding the right-hander’s latest shoulder injury. As forecasted, though, it was bad news: Woodruff will undergo another surgery to repair his right shoulder capsule, the same procedure he had after the 2023 season.

“There's a couple other things that are going on that's not the real issue,” Woodruff said. “The real issue is the capsule. I'll have to get it fixed, and then go from there.”

He hasn’t looked ahead at timelines, but for now, Woodruff plans to fully rehab and prepare to pitch again.

“The good news is I know exactly what this rehab entails,” he said. “I'm never closing the door on pitching. Like, I'm getting this with the intention of rehabbing and taking care of that and being able to pitch again. But as far as like when that is, I haven't even looked at the dates.”

The last time around, that rehab was a 20-month process between regular-season outings, although that included two delays for separate injuries (at least technically) unrelated to his shoulder. When he finally made it back, he pitched to a 3.20 ERA and 3.17 FIP in 12 starts and still struck out 32.3% of opposing hitters, despite predictably diminished fastball velocity. It was a similar story this year, as Woodruff posted a 2.98 ERA and 3.19 FIP.

“Going forward, it's like, I know I can go pitch,” Woodruff said. “Yeah, I would love to have 95-plus, but I've always prided myself on being a pitcher. It's almost, your brain works in a way where it's more fun getting guys out like I've had to get them out the last couple years. So in terms of going forward for me, it doesn’t take the fact away that you can still go and pitch at those velocities.”

“Him coming back that first time in Miami last year … just watching that happen, we’re just looking at each other like, ‘He's rolling,’” Murphy said. “And then he bumps a 95 or a 96 in there, and we’re like, ‘This guy’s doing it.’ And then the continuation of the way he went out there, he was in command.”

Throughout that time, though, Woodruff faced repeated problems in or near his surgically repaired shoulder. His 2025 season was cut short by a lat injury. He and the Brewers said his shoulder was structurally intact, and the club extended a qualifying offer for the 2025 season, which Woodruff accepted. In his sixth start of the year, his four-seam fastball velocity dipped to 85.4 mph, and he ultimately missed seven weeks after having fluid drained from a cyst in his shoulder.

The Brewers would not confirm it, but as he worked his way back, there were signs that Woodruff was making tweaks to his mechanics and pitch usage to prepare for another velocity dip. However, he looked like his usual post-surgery self in his return outing in Cincinnati, and he was solid again in his next outing against the Chicago Cubs. Woodruff said that he had no reason to believe another major injury was about to occur in his next start in Arizona.

“Truthfully, leading up before Arizona, I'd had a good week leading in between,” he said. “I had nothing that indicated that what was going to happen on July the 4th in Arizona was going to happen. And honestly, I was in a good spot. I was throwing the ball well and felt fine.”

It was a similar story to last time, coincidentally another start against the Diamondbacks. Woodruff’s velocity dipped into the mid-80s, and he departed in the fourth inning with Murphy, pitching coach Chris Hook, and athletic trainers. There was a more somber tone to this exit, an unspoken acknowledgment that it was more than a minor setback.

“If you watched my reaction out there, I kind of knew it was bad,” Murphy said. “And then when I heard the news, really what the MRI revealed at first, it was like, none of this can be good.”

That MRI showed a new injury to Woodruff’s anterior capsule. Another surgery will sideline him for 2027 and position him to return in 2028–if he successfully makes it back. Given their unclear outlook for recovery, already making it back from one surgery of this kind was a remarkable feat. Recovering from a second one to pitch again would be unprecedented. The last notable comparison was Johan Santana, whose career ended after he tore his capsule a second time.

For now, Woodruff will try to beat the odds by taking things one day at a time.

“The kid’s been coming back from adversity his whole career,” Murphy said.

“I didn't know what I was getting into three years ago when I had surgery,” Woodruff said. “Thankfully, I've got that perspective now, which I think will benefit me, for sure. It's not going to be easy. I know it's going to be tough, and so I know what's ahead of me.”

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